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COmmERCIRL PHOTOGRAPHY 

WITH IDE MINIATURE CAMERA 


by 



C. A. Goldner 

l\ 


CAMERA CRAFT PUBLISHING COMPANY 
425 Bush Street San Francisco, Calif. 


Copyright 1939 



Camera Craft Publishing Company 

San Francisco 


First Edition 
February 1939 



3 ? 


h 




PRINTED IN THE UNITED 

BY 


THE MERCURY PRESS 

©Cl A A 301 076 


STATES OF AMERICA 

, SAN FRANCISCO 


APR 19 1939 



CONTENTS 


Foreword ........ 8 

Chapter I ........ 11 

The Miniature Camera 

Chapter II.16 

Where To Look For Business 

Chapter III.24 


How To Get Started 

Chapter IV . . . ... . . .33 

Serving The Local Merchant 


Chapter V ........ 54 

Legal , Accident and Insurance Work 

Chapter VI.62 

The Real Estate Market 

Chapter VII.78 

Profitable Sidelines 

Chapter VIII ........ 81 

Natural Color Photography 

Chapter IX ........ 89 


Successful Miniature Camera Technique 















g* 








































COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY 

With The Miniature Camera 


FOREWORD 


The material presented in this book has been gathered 
through years of experience in furnishing commercial 
photographic service. Every picture I have ever taken 
and sold has been made with a 35 mm. camera. My 
experience with the miniature camera dates back to the 
days before the world became candid camera conscious. 
I have never owned any camera other than a miniature. 
Rising and falling fronts, swing hacks, and all the other 
hoot-nannys are still all Greek to me, for all I know they 
may be serious ailments suffered by the larger cameras, 
ailments such as fallen arches in humans, or the sway 
back of the old mule I saw the other day. 

In spite of this handicap, this blissful ignorance of the 
seemingly fundamental elements of photography, I can 
truthfully say that my stomach has never quite succeeded 
in touching my backbone. Though I started my business 
at a time when others were headed for bankruptcy, fate 
seems to have taken note of my blissful ignorance and has 
treated me kindly. My business has grown by leaps and 
hounds, and so, by the way have I. My starting weight 
was about one hundred sixty pounds, and today I tip the 
beam at better than a tenth of a ton. 

In addition to helping me increase the space I take up 
on the surface of the earth, the miniature camera has also 
provided me with a few of the luxuries of life, so I feel 


8 


that I owe an undying debt of gratitude to the genius who 
made this wonderful instrument possible. 

In professing my ignorance of the intricate ways and 
means of this fascinating field of endeavor known as pho¬ 
tography, I have naturally disqualified myself as one in a 
position to write a text or a hand-book to guide others 
into or through the wilds of this field. This book is not 
intended to he a text-hook for the embryo commercial 
photographer, little space has been devoted to technical 
discussions for the simple reason that there are available 
many books by expert authorities, explaining the whys 
and wherefores, the do’s and the don’ts of photography. 
This hook is intended primarily for the advanced ama¬ 
teur, to whom a discussion of the technical side of the 
problem would be merely a re-hash of things he has read 
hundreds of times before. 

The main purpose of this book is to try to show the 
serious amateur, interested in turning professional, some 
means of stuffing his pockets with something more spend¬ 
able than hankies and knick-knacks. 

There are, of course, many other ways of making 
money with a camera than those set forth in this hook. 
There are some photographers who are making a com¬ 
fortable living from their free-lance contributions to 
magazines and newspapers, others eke out their existence 
by means of portraiture—some have studios—others 
tramp from door to door. We have among photographers, 
as among all other professions, those who are merely get¬ 
ting by from day to day, while we also have a few top- 
notchers who have won their way to a point where they 
can demand and get checks hearing three and four figures 
every time they snap the shutter. 

No hook, regardless of how well it is written, or how 
much meat it contains, can guarantee to make a success¬ 
ful photographer of the reader. The difference between 
success and failure lies in the hands of the reader, if lie 
is willing to work hard, sets his heart and mind to reach- 


9 


ing a goal, nothing short of an act of God can prevent his 
making a success of photography. 

During the past few years I have been fortunate in 
uncovering or originating a few new applications of pho¬ 
tography which have added greatly to my volume of 
business, these I have willingly illustrated and explained, 
and if they are of any assistance to any reader in estab¬ 
lishing himself in this field the reader is welcome to, and 
should not hesitate to make use of them. 

The fields of endeavor outlined in this book may not 
be romantic, hut what they lack in romance, they make 
up for in the fact that the compensation will be adequate 
and at the same time the photographer can rest assured 
that he is contributing something of value to the business 
life of the community in which he resides. 

As in all other walks of life, ideas will he found far 
more valuable than hack breaking labor. So all in all, 
the best advice which can he offered is for the photogra¬ 
pher to keep striving for new ideas and practical uses for 
his products. Try it and see, it really pays dividents. 

C. A. Goldner. 


Toledo, December, 1938 . 


10 


CHAPTER ONE 


The Miniature Camera 


The past decade has witnessed great strides in the 
progress of photography. In no small way the miniature 
camera has been the inspiration for many of the recent 
improvements in photographic equipment, materials, 
and technique. 

An actual comparison of the cost of materials used in 
producing an eight by ten glossy print, shows that the 
miniature camera is capable of producing salable pic¬ 
tures at an average saving of about eighty per cent in the 
cost of film, paper and chemicals. Here at last is a camera 
which not only produces satisfactory commercial photo¬ 
graphs, but also earns for the photographer a greater 
profit on each job. 

When first introduced, the miniature camera was con¬ 
sidered a novelty, a fad which would soon run its course. 
However, it was soon discovered that in the hands of a 
person willing to master a simple technique, and able to 
forget the conventional limitations of the larger camera, 
pictures were being produced which were more natural, 
unposed, and forceful in putting across the story enacted 
before the lens. Thus was born the era of the candid 
camera. 

Most of the early examples of miniature photography, 


11 


if enlarged beyond five by seven, were indeed pitiful to 
gaze upon. While the camera itself was mechanically 
perfect, the films available were far from ideal. Grain 
almost proved to be the Waterloo of the miniature 
camera. Yielding to the demands for more suitable films, 
the film manufacturers set to work to solve the problem 
of grain. The first signs of success were indicated in the 
relatively slow hut exceedingly fine-grain films which 
were brought on the market shortly after the miniature 
camera began to gain popularity. These fine-grain films 
made possible the production of larger prints from the 
tiny negatives. Many pictorial workers swung to the 
miniature camera, and eleven by fourteen prints were 
becoming quite common. 

While the lenses furnished with the first miniature 
cameras were somewhat faster than the lenses generally 
used by the majority of amateur and professional photog¬ 
raphers, it soon became evident that to supply the de¬ 
mand for more and more candid photos taken under 
increasingly more difficult conditions, faster lenses were 
needed. The manufacturers have responded to the de¬ 
mand for speed and today many miniature cameras are 
equipped with lenses rated at f:1.5, a speed beyond the 
wildest dreams of photographers of a few years ago. 

While the great miniature camera artists of Europe 
seem to be more or less content with the slower films, 
here in America the urge has been for speed and still 
more speed. High speed and fine grain have been oppos¬ 
ing factors, film manufacturers were unable to combine 
both in one emulsion. So chemists turned their attention 
to developing agents which might result in a finer grained 
image on the faster films. That signaled the beginning of 
a period during which new developers and formulas were 
being introduced almost every day. Grain and fine grain 
developers became almost an obsession, whenever and 
wherever two or more miniature camera fans met, the 
topic of their conversation was invariably grain. Practi- 


12 


cally everything in the way of print quality was sacrificed 
on the altar of the almighty grain of silver. 

Fortunately those days can now he considered past. 
While developers and formulas were holding the atten¬ 
tion of the photographic public, the film manufacturers 
were quietly at work. There are now available high speed 
films possessing remarkable fine grain characteristics. 
Today the serious worker need no longer devote his en¬ 
tire attention to the production of fine grain, hut may 
expend his energy and talents in making good salable 
photographs. 

The modern miniature camera, while still considered 
primarily as a candid camera, can and is being success¬ 
fully adapted to many different fields of photographic 
work. There are available accessories too numerous to 
mention, each of which fits the camera to some particular 
field of photography. 

Of all advantages to he derived from the use of the 
miniature camera, probably the most outstanding is the 
economy of operation which permits the shooting of as 
many shots as thought necessary to capture on film the 
idea the client desires to illustrate, without running the 
cost of the job up to a point where the price either be¬ 
comes prohibitive, or the profit begins to fade away. 

In addition to being adaptable to many different types 
of work through the use of accessories, the miniature 
camera will within the very near future come into its own 
and he recognized as the ideal camera for natural color 
photography. 

Any serious miniature camera worker will do well to 
keep apace with the many new developments in natural 
color work. Further progress in the perfection and sim¬ 
plification of natural color photography is definitely 
indicated, pointing to the day when color photos shall he 
the common means of illustration, not only foi adver¬ 
tising, hut also for the daily news stories. 

A careful consideration of the progress made in the 
past few years leads to the conclusion that one by one the 


13 


limitations of the miniature camera are being overcome, 
and that the miniature camera is indeed a valuable piece 
of equipment for the future commercial photographer. 

While the possession of the many accessories available 
for whatever type of miniature camera the worker may 
have, will add greatly to the volume of business he is 
capable of handling, it is not necessary to be elaborately 
equipped to get a start in a business which can he made 
profitable in direct proportion to the energy expended 
and the imagination applied to the task at hand. 

In order to enter the field of commercial photography 
a certain minimum amount of equipment is necessary. 
Listed below are the hare necessities which will enable 
the serious worker to establish himself as a commercial 
photographer. 

The camera, equipped with a standard lens and sun¬ 
shade. 

An exposure meter. 

A tripod and cable release. 

For the processing of films and printing of pictures the 
worker must provide some sort of darkroom. While an 
elaborate darkroom is not necessary, a well arranged 
working room will aid materially in furnishing prompt 
and satisfactory service. 

Darkroom equipment should consist of at least the 
following: 

A tank for processing the films. 

A thermometer. 

An enlarger. 

The necessary trays. 

Access to running water. 

Ferrotype tins and print roller. 

A supply of chemicals, ready mixed or in hulk. 

Miniature camera equipment is available in many dif¬ 
ferent makes and prices, ranging from the cheaper 
cameras and enlargers selling for only a few dollars up 
to the most modern and high class equipment costing 
hundreds of dollars. 


14 


While good equipment will enable a good photogra¬ 
pher to turn out better work, it will he well to hear in 
mind the fact that successful photography is made up of 
probably ten per cent contributed by the equipment and 
the remaining ninety per cent depending upon the man 
behind the camera. Therefore, the worker who is handi¬ 
capped by the lack of funds should not be discouraged if 
his equipment is not of the best available. Put the equip¬ 
ment to work, and as soon as business warrants, better 
and more elaborate equipment can be obtained. 


15 


CHAPTER TWO 


Where to Look for Business 


Photography plays an important part in conducting 
the business affairs of the nation. Wherever goods and 
services are exchanged or sold, there exists a constantly 
increasing demand for well executed photos. 

Commercial photography falls roughly into two dis¬ 
tinct types of work, record and illustrative. To define the 
terms record and illustrative in a simple manner is rather 
difficult as there are at times strictly record photos used 
for illustrative purposes. However, to draw a line of de¬ 
marcation, it will suffice to state that record photography 
is for the most part photographing things as they exist, 
while illustrative photography entails special prepara¬ 
tion, the use of models, and the exercise of the imagina¬ 
tion in an effort to dramatize the subject and incorporate 
into the finished picture an irresistable appeal which will 
create a demand for the product illustrated. 

Illustrative photography is by far the most profitable, 
hut as with all good things, it is also the hardest field to 
crash. Competition is very keen, and until the photogra¬ 
pher has demonstrated his ability to furnish outstanding 
pictures, contracts will prove to he very elusive. There¬ 
fore, the beginner is strongly advised to concentrate his 
attention on building up a local clientele using the more 


16 


or less record type of photos. In this manner a steady 
income can be depended upon, and as confidence in one’s 
ability increases, efforts can he made to gain recognition 
in the more lucrative illustrative field. 

To assure success in establishing a commercial photo¬ 
graphic business, an intelligent and sympathetic ap¬ 
proach to the requirements of the market is beyond 
doubt the most valuable asset for the beginner to acquire. 
Time spent in asking questions and gaining a general and 
clear understanding of the problems confronting the 
business men whom you expect to serve, can never be 
considered wasted. In the long run it will pay handsome 
dividends. 

Undoubtedly the most difficult problem facing the 
newcomer in the commercial photographic field lies in 
his inability to uncover a market which will offer a foot¬ 
hold in the field. The usual procedure of merely an¬ 
nouncing that one is in business and sitting back to wait 
for results will prove very disappointing except in those 
rare locations where no competition exists. There is only 
one certain way to build up a successful business, and 
that is to go after the business. 

In order to help the beginner over this difficult hurdle, 
a discussion of the various markets will be presented. 
Certain of these markets will be found in practically 
every community, while others may be found only in the 
larger cities. 

Manufacturers, as a general rule, make extensive use of 
photographs both as an aid in selling their products, and 
also in research to enable them to develop more economi¬ 
cal methods of manufacture, better products, and new 
uses of the same. The manufacturers of hardware, 
machinery, and other heavy goods are always interested 
in obtaining good photographs of their goods for use in 
their catalogs which are usually re-issued at definite 
periods. 

While not manufacturers in the strict sense of the 
word, dairies, canneries, and packing houses process food 


17 


for public consumption, and are, therefore, interested in 
keeping their products before the public, placing empha¬ 
sis on the quality of the goods, economies effected 
through their use and, last but not least, the conditions 
under which the products are processed. 

Jobbers and wholesale houses usually depend upon the 
manufacturer to furnish the advertising material for 
their goods. However, there are times when they are 
introducing new products into a community, and at such 
times they can be depended upon to turn to the local 
photographer who is in a position to furnish the kind of 
pictures they want. 

Among the retail dealers, chain and department stores 
are the largest users of photographs. 

The main offices of the various chain stores are usually 
interested in recording the manner in which special sales 
are handled in the many stores they control. Some of the 
larger chains periodically call for interior views of all 
their stores, together with more frequent shots of the 
window displays. This business is well worth going after. 

Department stores as a rule invest heavily in space in 
the local newspapers, this space must be filled with mate¬ 
rial which will draw crowds to the stores. Until recently 
most of the illustrations used in department store adver¬ 
tising were the work of artists, working with pen or 
brush. The past few years have, however, witnessed a 
gradual swing away from hand drawn sketches and more 
and more toward the photographic illustration. Photo¬ 
graphs possess realism, while the artist’s sketches merely 
represent the artist’s conception of the product. The main 
points to strive for in illustrations for the department 
stores is the rendition of texture and quality, together 
with good drawing. 

Many department stores also maintain complete files 
of photographs of the window displays they have used in 
the past. These files are used by the window dressers in 
their continual effort to make the window displays ap- 


18 


pealing to the public, and at the same time create an 
interest in the goods on display. 

Interior decorators offer another good market for the 
commercial photographer. Every decorator is usually 
proud of the work he has done and is, therefore, inter¬ 
ested in showing the results of his efforts to his prospec¬ 
tive customers. Photographs offer the ideal means of 
showing such work without running the risk of losing the 
good will of former clients by imposing upon their pri¬ 
vacy with a continual stream of prospects merely shop¬ 
ping around for ideas. 

In the larger communities it will he found that interior 
decorators specialize in certain phases of the work. There 
are, for instance, those who specialize in draperies, cur¬ 
tains and floor coverings. Others restrict their work to 
the designing and building of furnishings. Still another 
group specializes in decorating walls and ceilings, while 
the designing and installing of mantels and fireplaces is 
the work of a fourth group of decorators. 

Landscape gardeners also make use of photographs in 
keeping a record of the work they have done in the past. 
The photographs are used for much the same purposes 
as are those made for the interior decorator. 

Architects and building contractors make extensive use 
of photos, not only of the finished building, but also 
many shots taken at different stages of the construction. 
Many of the details of construction called for in the 
specifications will be completely hidden after the build¬ 
ing is completed, therefore, photographs taken during 
the actual stages of construction are of great value to the 
architect and the contractor in avoiding or settling any 
disputes which may arise at a later date concerning the 
materials and type of construction used. 

In addition to such construction shots, the architect is 
usually also interested in obtaining good photographs of 
various outstanding features of buildings and homes he 
has designed. 

Attorneys have occasional use for photographs to be 


19 


introduced as evidence in civil suits. This type of work is 
very exacting, therefore, it is always advisable that before 
the photographer sets out to get the pictures needed, he 
discuss the case with the attorney and obtain a clear 
understanding as to just what can he considered as evi¬ 
dence and what pictures are likely to he rejected by the 
court. 

Insurance adjusters also require photographs. Since 
most of the photos made for insurance adjusters will he 
used either in court, or to settle a claim outside of court, 
the same points as to what constitutes evidence must he 
kept in mind when making the photographs. 

Several different types of work will be encountered in 
the insurance field. Probably the most common deals 
with the ever-increasing toll of automobile accidents, 
with claims arising from fires and explosions running a 
close second. After having established himself as a reli¬ 
able photographer, there is still another type of work 
which might be offered by the claim agent or adjuster. 
Each month practically every insurance company is pay¬ 
ing out large sums of money in the form of disability 
compensation. While most of the claims are legitimate, 
chiselers are constantly at work trying to get something 
for nothing through fraudulent claims against insurance 
companies. 

Whenever an insurance company suspects that a claim 
is not legitimate, a quiet and almost undercover investi¬ 
gation is made in an effort to collect sufficient evidence to 
stop payment on the claim and bring the defrauder to 
justice. This type of work is seldom available to the pho¬ 
tographer who comes to the insurance company asking 
for it. Only after having demonstrated that he is to he 
trusted, through the manner in which he handles what¬ 
ever routine photographic work is available, will such 
work be offered to the commercial photographer. 

Another market which offers a large volume of work 
is real estate. The volume of business available is in fact 
so large that in many of the larger cities there are photog- 


20 


raphers who do nothing but photographic work for the 
many real estate offices in their territory. 

Real estate agents use photographs for many different 
purposes. Window displays, cuts for newspaper ads, office 
files, and salesmen’s portfolios are the most common uses 
of photography in this field. 

Since many real estate offices handle the arrangements 
for making mortgage loans by out of town banks and 
insurance companies, they require the services of a pho¬ 
tographer to furnish the necessary photographs to com¬ 
plete the records of the company or bank making the 
loan. While a few loaning agencies accept the ordinary 
snapshot as sufficient for their purpose, most up-to-date 
agencies require that the photos be furnished on a special 
form known as a photo-survey form. Since the produc¬ 
tion of these photo-survey forms on photographic paper 
calls for printing from three different negatives on the 
one sheet of paper, very few miniature camera users have 
tackled the problem. Consequently most of this work has 
gone and still is going to photographers using the larger 
cameras. In a later chapter detailed instructions will be 
given concerning a simple, efficient, and inexpensive 
means of producing this and several other special types 
of photographic work which will bring the miniature 
camera user the bulk of the real estate photography in 
his locality. 

The various markets for the work of the commercial 
photographer which have been discussed in this chapter 
are those whose use of photography is extensive enough 
to warrant a special effort on the part of the photogra¬ 
pher to get the business. After the photographer has 
established himself in a community there will be many 
odd jobs that come in of their own accord. These jobs 
will be of many different types and are too numerous to 
classify as individual markets. Needless to say, they 
should be treated with the same respect that is given to 
the larger accounts, and only the best pictures possible 


21 


under the conditions governing the joh should he de¬ 
livered. 

Practically every commercial photographer is ambi¬ 
tious to break into the field of illustrative photography. 
With this in mind, the following suggestions which, by 
the way, are about all that can be offered in this line, 
may be of some help to the serious worker struggling for 
recognition. 

As a general rule technical excellence is taken for 
granted in illustrative photography, therefore, submit 
only pictures which are perfect at least from the stand¬ 
point of exposure, development, range of tones, and 
focus. Keep in mind the fact that the advertising agencies 
have been handling the work of expert photographers, 
and that your work is most likely to be compared with 
the work of others. Work which leaves the impression 
that the photographer is careless will establish for the 
photographer a reputation that will be hard to live down. 

In as much as illustrative photography calls for the use 
of the imagination, and a continual search for something 
different, definite instructions as to what to photograpli 
would he merely a waste of time for everyone concerned, 
and would result in no sales. The only sure way to break 
into this field is to keep trying. Study the illustrations 
used in the current issues of the various magazines and 
advertising literature. Apply some thought and try to 
work out something a little more striking, a little better 
for the purpose. When you have succeeded in making a 
picture which you feel is better than the one used in the 
advertisement, send a print to the advertising agency 
which handled the account of the manufacturer of the 
product. If you can not find the name and address of the 
advertising agency then send two copies of the photo to 
the advertising manager of the company which makes the 
product, and ask him to forward a copy to the advertising 
agency. 

Many illustrative photographs are such that they could 


22 


be used to bring home some important point concerning 
any number ol different products. Among such photos 
are those symbolic of various virtues and vices. Well 
planned pictures along this line will many times lead to 
profitable contracts with the advertising agencies. 


23 


CHAPTER THREE 


How to Get Started 


Getting started is always the hardest part of any ven¬ 
ture, once the ball is rolling, obstacles which from a dis¬ 
tance seemed insurmountable fade away as each new job 
and each new account build up the photographer’s con¬ 
fidence in his ability to cope with the many little prob¬ 
lems which arise from day to day. 

The greatest stumbling block in the path to the success¬ 
ful establishment of any business, is the lack of patience 
on the part of the average person. Human nature is such 
that if gratifying results are not forthcoming as soon as 
expected, interest in the venture is lost, and along with 
the loss of interest goes the loss of all chances for success. 

No one entering the profession of photography should 
expect to build up a profitable business overnight. In fact 
the first year in business is most likely to be a very slim 
year, and if the photographer can succeed in meeting his 
expenses and keeping body and soul together during this 
first year he may pat himself on the back. By sticking to 
the job and plugging away, the second year’s business 
should be double that of the first year. By the time the 
third year has passed the business should be at a point 
where the income derived should be well above the 
average. 


24 


If the amateur photographer who is contemplating 
turning his hobby into a profession, is fortunate enough 
to have some other source of income, it will be wise for 
him to feel his way into commercial photography slowly 
by first going after such work as can be done over week¬ 
ends and holidays. After enough accounts have been 
lined up, then the photographer can feel free to cut loose 
from any other connections he may have and devote his 
entire time to photography. 

One other point which should be given serious con¬ 
sideration is that of taking on a lot of unnecessary over¬ 
head expense. Just remember that the quality of your 
work and the service that you give are the only things 
that are of interest to your clients. If the pictures and the 
service are satisfactory, it makes no difference whether 
they were produced in a palatial studio in the high rent 
district, or in an improvised workroom in the hayloft. If 
at all possible the beginner should be content with the 
best darkroom facilities he can provide for himself right 
in his own home. 

The amateur who has as yet not advanced beyond the 
snap-shooter stage is advised to refrain from attempting 
to enter the commercial field until such a time as he can 
turn out consistently good work. To venture in without 
the ability to produce the goods when called upon is 
merely one means of making certain that the venture is 
doomed to failure. First impressions are most always 
lasting impressions, and the photographer who fails to 
please with the first pictures he delivers, will seldom if 
ever, be favored with further business. So if you are not 
sure of your ability, in all fairness to yourself, give your¬ 
self a little more time to perfect your technique before 
trying to sell your work. 

The problem of how to get business is a serious prob¬ 
lem to be faced by the newcomer to any profession. There 
are many elements which contribute to the successful 
establishment of a business or profession other than the 
ability to handle the work. 


25 


In practically every community there are any number 
of examples of men who are undisputed experts in their 
particular line of work, but for some reason or another 
seem to he unable to make any headway, and in many 
cases are continually slipping from bad to worse. While 
these men may he wondering where their next meal is to 
come from, other men with far less technical knowledge, 
and far less experience, proceed to build up a successful 
business. The newcomer to any profession, and most par¬ 
ticularly the newcomer to the field of commercial photog¬ 
raphy, will do well to give serious consideration to the 
many little things which spell the difference between suc¬ 
cess and failure. 

Personality is very often a deciding factor in the suc¬ 
cess of a business venture. While not everyone is so for¬ 
tunate as to be gifted with the type of pleasing person¬ 
ality which leads to fame and fortune, anyone who hopes 
to make a success of dealing with other people should at 
all times strive to maintain a cheerful and pleasant atti¬ 
tude. When things go wrong do your worrying in private. 

While on this subject it might be well to formulate a 
simple rule to keep in mind when dealing with people. 

When in the presence of people to whom you hope to 
sell your services, forget your worries, be pleasant and 
cheerful. Be a good listener and lend a sympathetic ear 
to the woes of your prospect. Save your gloom and sob 
stories for the salesmen who try to sell you things you 
don’t need. 

Another very important point to keep in mind at all 
times is that your customer usually knows what he wants 
in the way of pictures, so make every effort to furnish 
exactly what the order calls for. However, if you see an 
angle which might give a picture better suited to the 
purpose your customer had in mind, by all means don’t 
be afraid to waste a little film and paper. Submit the 
extra shot along with the one that was ordered, and if 
your judgment was right you will be paid for both shots 


26 


and at the same time have made a favorable and lasting 
impression. 

1 his in turn brings up another point which should 
never be overlooked. While photography is the bread 
and butter of the commercial photographer, it is merely 
another routine matter in the affairs of your customer. 
Most successful business men are so busy that they can 
only give their attention to important matters, details 
being delegated to the lesser lights in the office. There¬ 
fore, the ability of the photographer to quickly grasp the 
viewpoint of the customer and bring back the right pic¬ 
tures with little or no special instruction, will be greatly 
appreciated. 

While it is possible to get business through the use of 
advertising, the expense involved is in most cases too 
great to be considered by the average worker just enter¬ 
ing the field. The use of the mails and personal calls are 
far less expensive, and if properly handled will bring 
results. 

Most successful salesmen prefer the personal call, feel¬ 
ing that the product or service they are trying to sell can 
be more thoroughly discussed and any questions or ob¬ 
jections easily answered. Undoubtedly the personal call 
is the most effective means of getting business, however it 
requires much time. For the photographer interested in 
developing a spare time business, or for the man who is 
uncertain of his ability to sell, a well planned series of 
sales letters mailed to a list of prospects will be of great 
assistance in breaking down the sales resistance certain 
to be encountered. By using the mails, personal calls are 
at first restricted to those prospects who definitely indi¬ 
cate their interest in what you may have to say by re¬ 
sponding to your sales letter. If at a later date you may 
decide to call upon those who did not respond to your 
letter, the fact that you have written a letter serves as 
somewhat of an introduction, and in many cases aids in 
getting an appointment. 

Many people are of the opinion that sales letters are 


27 


merely glanced at and then deposited in the nearest 
waste basket. My experience with the use of the mails 
indicates that this is a false conception. Although several 
years have elapsed since I sent out my last hatch of sales 
letters, many of which brought no immediate response, 
I still get occasional calls which start out something like 
this, “Several years ago we received a letter from you 
regarding the use of photographs in our business, at that 
time we were not in the market, however, Mr. Blank has 
been considering some of the things you suggested and 
would be pleased to have you call on him to discuss the 
matter more thoroughly.” 

Instances such as these prove conclusively that many 
up-to-date offices maintain a file of both their incoming 
and outgoing correspondence. Therefore, a well written 
letter is not a waste of time. Your letter in the files of an 
office is the best assurance you may have that when the 
occasion arises for the need of a photographer, you will 
be the first to be called in. 

The writing of effective sales letters is not a very diffi¬ 
cult task. A few important rules, carefully followed, will 
enable most anyone to compose a letter which will set 
the reader to thinking and open the way to profitable 
business relations. 

The first important detail is the selection of stationery. 
The ideal letterhead is one of a conservative nature. A 
good grade of white bond paper, printed with either 
black or dark blue ink creates a very favorable impres¬ 
sion. Gaudy and fancy stationery is usually associated 
with fly-by-night and gyp organizations, and can general¬ 
ly be depended upon to create a feeling of suspicion on 
the part of the reader. Never crowd a letterhead with a 
lot of unnecessary printed matter, the name under which 
you are doing business together with your address and 
telephone number are the only items which will be of 
interest to the persons with whom you will correspond. 

The second point to hear in mind when composing a 
sales letter is to he brief and concise. Spend a little time 


28 


re-writing your letter, each time eliminating a few un¬ 
necessary words. You will be surprised to find that the 
points you covered with five hundred words on the first 
writing will he amply and intelligently presented in two 
or three hundred words after the third or fourth re¬ 
writing. 

The most certain means of assuring a high percentage 
of response to your letters is to incorporate in it some 
suggestion for the use of photography which will do at 
least one of three things. First, create a greater market 
for the goods or services; second, bring about a reduction 
in the cost of furnishing such goods or services; or, third, 
help to create and maintain good will. No business man 
will object to spending money if such an expenditure will 
result in more business or a higher margin of profit on his 
present volume. 

In order to he in a position to make such suggestions it 
is advisable that the photographer make the acquaint¬ 
ance of people engaged in the various businesses he hopes 
to serve, and discuss the problems of the business and 
the probable applications of photography. While the 
suggestions you make may be impractical, the fact that 
you have shown some thought will make a good impres¬ 
sion, and will in many cases start a train of thought in the 
mind of the reader which will eventually lead to a good 
deal of business for you. 

All business letters should be typewritten. If you do 
not have a typewriter, or cannot do typing, by all means 
have someone type the letters for you. If necessary, do 
not hesitate to spend a few dollars with a public stenog¬ 
rapher, it will be money well spent. 

While on the subject of using the mails, it might be 
well to add that the inclusion of a sample of your work 
with the letter will do no harm. A sample is definitely 
required when you are trying to sell the idea of making 
use of photography in the production of special office 
forms, file cards and notebook inserts. 

In closing your letter, request an interview at the con- 


29 


venience of the reader, in order that you may go into the 
subject in more detail. 

When an interview is granted he prompt in keeping 
the appointment. Nothing will do more damage to your 
chances of making a profitable business connection than 
keeping your prospect waiting after he has been suffi¬ 
ciently interested to grant an interview. 

In order to make a favorable impression on your pros¬ 
pect make every effort to be neat and well groomed. 
While it is not necessary to be the Beau Brummel of 
town, certain details should not he overlooked. Even if 
your clothes are not new or of the best material, they can 
he kept clean and neatly pressed. This advice should not 
be necessary, but it is surprising how many photogra¬ 
phers are inclined to neglect their appearance, and are 
always grumbling that business is poor. 

You may be inclined to be slightly nervous when 
making your first business call. The easiest way to over¬ 
come any such nervousness is to ignore it entirely and 
concentrate your attention on the business at hand. 

While the use of photography in many businesses is a 
necessary and an accepted expense in conducting the 
business, an unceasing effort should be made to uncover 
new uses which will he advantageous to the business. It 
is always easier to sell something which is needed, or for 
which a practical use can be demonstrated. 

However, even though you may be firmly convinced 
that the suggestions you make are practical and should 
be adopted, pay strict attention to the ideas expressed by 
your prospect. He undoubtedly has behind his judgment 
years of experience in his field which enable him to pick 
out the flaws in your ideas, and make suggestions which 
if followed will evolve something useful to your prospect 
and profitable to yourself. 

In your enthusiasm on finding a hot prospect do not 
allow yourself to be stampeded into making promises or 
contracts you may not be able to fulfill. In working with 
real estate men you will find that most offices are primari- 


30 


ly interested in getting fast service, in fact, many offices 
expect to have the finished pictures sometime on the day 
after placing of the order. If you are not ahle to furnish 
as rapid service as your prospect may ask for, he sure to 
explain your difficulty to him and try to arrive at a satis¬ 
factory service which you will he able to maintain. In 
this connection it is always better to he in a position to 
deliver more than you promised rather than fall short of 
the expectations promises build up. 

Every effort should he made to furnish pictures and 
service which will result in complete satisfaction of the 
demands of your clients. Never hesitate to offer to do a 
job on the condition that the results will he satisfactory 
or the job will he done over. If you handle every job to 
the best of your ability you will seldom he called upon 
to do a job over. 

While the majority of business men are honest, one 
will at times come into contact with unscrupulous chisel- 
ers who will take advantage of every opportunity to get 
something for nothing, or at least for a lot less than they 
agreed to pay. Such chiselers are easily spotted. Their 
usual procedure is to order pictures, demanding rush 
service, when the pictures are delivered they manage to 
find fault with your work. If you offer to do the job over 
your offer will be turned down. Figuring that you are 
stuck with the job they will offer to take the pictures 
provided you knock off a bit on the price. The best way 
to treat such chiselers is to tear up the pictures and 
deposit them in the nearest wastebasket, then politely in¬ 
form them that if they wish to accept delivery on the 
pictures they ordered, the price will be just double what 
you had originally asked. If in the future they want any 
pictures you will expect to receive their check with the 
orders. 

Cases such as the one cited above are rather rare, and 
the average photographer may never have occasion to 
make use of the advice just given. 


31 


In summing up the problem of getting business and 
bolding it, the most important requirements are a pleas¬ 
ing personality, plus the will and the ability to furnish 
satisfactory service. 

Always keep in mind the well demonstrated truth that 
the cream of the business usually goes to the man who 
gets out and goes after it. 


32 


CHAPTER FOUR 


Serving the Local Merchant 


Under the heading of local merchants, consideration 
will he given to some of the many johs encountered in 
meeting the requirements of the manufacturers, retail 
dealers, interior decorators, landscape gardeners, archi¬ 
tects and building contractors. Since business methods 
in various parts of the world may differ widely, and each 
individual business man may have his own ideas as to 
how to conduct his business, any effort to present a dis¬ 
cussion of the exact requirements of a typical business 
applicable in all parts of the world, is beyond the scope 
of this hook. 

In order to present material which will be of value to 
the individual photographer in developing a technique 
of his own, only basic problems will he discussed. While 
it may be possible in some cases to build up a successful 
practice by imitating the technique and style of others, 
success will he built on a more solid and enduring foun¬ 
dation if the photographer will master the basic techni¬ 
cal problems and apply them to his work in such a man¬ 
ner that the finished pictures are distinctly his own, and 
not mere imitations of other successful work. 

Manufacturers 

Photographic work for manufacturers will fall roughly 


33 


into three classes, illustrations for catalogs and advertis¬ 
ing literature, photographs for use in instructions sheets 
and pamphlets, and photographic research in testing new 
materials and methods of manufacture. 

In furnishing photographs for illustrating catalogs and 
advertising literature the photographer may be called 
upon to photograph subjects ranging in size from steam¬ 
ships and locomotives down to small tools and machine 
parts, many of which may even be microscopic in size. 

In the photographing of large objects such as steam¬ 
ships, locomotives, trucks, busses and similar items, little 
special knowledge will be required. Since the object of 
making the photograph is to produce a good likeness of 
the subject, the most important point for the photogra¬ 
pher to consider is the placing of the camera. Unless the 
order specifically calls for it, the broadside view should 
as a general rule be avoided. Broadsides usually lack 
depth and reality, the subject appears in one plane and 
seems to be merely pasted against the background. To 
produce a picture giving the effect of depth and reality, 
the camera should be set up in a position ranging some¬ 
where between thirty and sixty degrees off the broadside 
position. To avoid a violent perspective the camera 
should not he placed too close to the subject. No strict 
rule can be given to govern the placing of the camera, the 
subject should he studied through the viewfinder from 
several different positions and the position which shows 
the subject in its most favorable aspect should be the one 
chosen. If the job permits the photographer to direct the 
placing of the subject, careful attention should be paid 
to the background. Avoid backgrounds filled with details 
which might lead the attention from the center of interest 
of the pictures. 

In placing the subject and the camera, lighting must 
always be taken into consideration. For the strictly rec¬ 
ord type of work, the light source should be behind the 
camera and slightly off to one side. Since the majority of 
the pictures of extremely large subjects will be taken out- 


34 


of-doors, sunlight will be the only light source. Sunlight 
as a rule furnishes an intense light and casts heavy 
shadows. Keeping the sun well to the rear of the camera 
position will aid in avoiding the loss of details in the 
shadow portions of the subject. The ideal lighting con¬ 
ditions, however, are those which prevail on a day when 
the sky is slightly overcast, and the shadows cast by the 
sun are barely noticeable. 

In order to produce a negative with sharply defined 
details the camera should be placed on a steady tripod 
and the lens stopped down. High speed lenses are ideal 
lor the purpose for which they were intended, namely, 
candid photography under adverse lighting conditions. 
While the definition of the modern high speed lens is 
good, even when used wide open, it is much better when 
the lens is stopped down. Anyone doubting this estab¬ 
lished fact need only refer to the literature furnished by 
the lens makers, or better yet make a negative with the 
lens wide open and another with the lens stopped down. 
A comparison of the finished prints will convince even 
the most dyed-in-the-wool speed addict. 

Focusing should always receive the careful attention 
of the photographer. In commercial work fuzzy and off- 
focus work is definitely not acceptable. If the camera is 
equipped with a range finder much of the trouble ex¬ 
perienced with focusing will be automatically eliminated. 
When using the range finder, focus on some detail ap¬ 
proximately one-third of the way between the nearest 
and farthest points of the subject. The depth of focus 
of the miniature camera lens when focused in this man¬ 
ner will be more than sufficient to cover even the largest 
subjects. If the camera is not equipped with a range 
finder the distance should be carefully paced off. 

Exposure determines the success or failure of a picture 
and, therefore, every serious photographer should make 
use of some kind of exposure meter or calculator. Com¬ 
mercial work requires negatives which have received a 
generous exposure. It is absolutely impossible to print 


35 


oil paper details which failed to register on the film 
during the exposure. If any douht exists as to the proper 
exposure, just remember that miniature films are cheap, 
shoot several negatives giving different times to each, one 
is certain to be close enough to the correct exposure to 
yield a good print. 

Any amateur photographer who has mastered his 
camera to the point where he is capable of producing 
reasonably good negatives and clean-cut prints with con¬ 
sistency, should experience little difficulty in producing 
satisfactory record photos for the manufacturers in his 
locality. 

It might he well at this point to call the attention to 
the fact that there are at least five questions which can 
he asked about any picture. What is it? Why was the 
picture taken? How was it taken, or, how does the thing 
pictured operate? Where and when was the picture 
taken? 

Any picture to be successful must supply in itself the 
answer to at least the first question. The subject must he 
so clearly defined that it will identify itself. In some 
cases the picture may in itself he able to supply the 
answer to the questions of why it was taken, and how the 
thing operates. 

At first glance it may seem foolish and unnecessary to 
remind the worker to bend his efforts toward producing 
a picture which is virtually self-explanatory, hut after 
viewing the work of many amateur photographers, it is 
surprising to find how many of the prints require con¬ 
siderable explanation before the picture takes on a 
definite meaning. 

In judging the merits of a picture from the commercial 
angle, keep in mind the old saying that “a good picture 
is worth a thousand words,” any picture that fails to bear 
out this saying is of doubtful value commercially. 

Photographing Machinery 

The photographing of machinery presents a few minor 


36 



Figure 1. 

Straight print, easel tilted during projection to correct the per¬ 
spective resulting from the relatively high camera position. 


37 


problems, foremost of which is the elimination of con¬ 
fusing details in the background. 

If the machines to be photographed are small and not 
too heavy to be easily moved, it is usually a simple matter 
to make use of an unused room or corner and avoid in¬ 
cluding other machines in the background. 

Heavy machinery will usually have to be photographed 
in the assembly or inspection department, or, in the 
warehouse or showrooms. Under these conditions it is 
many times possible for the photographer to improvise 
a plain background by stringing up a wire or cord and 
hanging a piece of white cloth in such a manner that it 
serves as the background and blocks out undesired de¬ 
tails. 

Practically all of the illustrations of machinery used in 
catalogs show the machine apparently suspended in-mid¬ 
air against a white background. To produce this kind of 
an illustration calls for considerable retouching. Photog¬ 
raphers working with the larger negatives usually do the 
retouching directly on the negatives. The same result can 
be obtained from the miniature negatives by making a 
good snappy print on a smooth surfaced paper such as 
Illustrator’s Special; after the print is dry, the back¬ 
ground and all unwanted details can be blocked out with 
a photographic white opaque paint. The print is then 
copied and as many prints as may be needed can be pro¬ 
duced from this second negative. This may sound like a 
lot of work, but with experience it will be found that the 
job can he completed in just about the same time as is 
required to do the retouching on the larger negative. 
Figure 1 shows a photo before retouching, note the dis¬ 
tracting effect of the details which have no connection 
with the machine itself. In figure 2 is illustrated the 
method of applying the opaque paint. Figure 3 shows 
the finished print. 

The materials needed for this type of work consist of a 
small supply of white opaque paint which can be pur- 


38 



Figure 2. 

Applying the opaque to block out the background. 


chased at most any photographic supply house, and 
several different sizes of sahle brushes. With a little prac¬ 
tice the photographer will soon become adept at blocking 
out even the most delicate details. To keep a smooth 
appearance in the finished print, it will be found helpful 
to make the original print which is to be retouched at 
least one size larger than the finished print is to he. In 
this manner little defects in the retouching are reduced 
in the final print, and become unnoticeable. 

Small items such as tools and machine parts, when 
photographed for catalog illustration are usually shown 
against a pure white background. This can be produced 
in the same manner as outlined above, however, a much 
easier method is to support the object to be photo¬ 
graphed on a plate of glass fixed above a white surface 


39 




which is strongly and evenly illuminated. The object to 
he photographed is lighted in the usual manner, the 
exposure being based upon normal lighting, results in an 
overexposed background and the elimination of all cast 
shadows. 

While an improvised arrangement will produce excel¬ 
lent results, the photographer who expects to do much 
photographing of relatively small objects will do well to 
construct a simple illuminated light box. The materials 
needed can be purchased for a trifle, and a few minutes 
work is all that is required to put together an accessory 
which will soon prove invaluable. 

Figure 4 shows a sketch of such an illuminated light 
box. While the unit can he made as large or as small as 
needed, lhe size recommended, namely, a box 24"x36" 
with a clear opening measuring 16"x24" will prove to be 
an ideal size. The box is constructed of plywood which 
gives a strong and light weight portable unit. The inside 
of the four sides and the under side of the plywood top 
are given at least two coast of aluminum paint, while the 
bottom is given several coats of flat white. To secure even 
illumination will require at least four lamps, one in each 
corner of the box. These lamps can all he controlled by 
the same switch conveniently located on the outside of 
the box. Ordinary fifty watt lamps will as a rule he 
sufficient. 

Occasionally it might he necessary to photograph some 
object against a black background. To do this it is only 
necessary to substitute a piece of red glass for the clear 
glass in the light box, and make the exposure on an ortho- 
chromatic film. Since this film is not sensitive to red 
light, the background will fail to register on the film and 
will, therefore, print black in the finished picture. If red 
glass is not available a piece of red paper such as conies 
wrapped around photographic paper will serve the pur¬ 
pose. It should he secured to the under side of the glass 
plate and stretched fairly taut. 


40 



Figure 3. 

The finished print. The process of retouching demonstrated in 
these illustrations need only be resorted to in those cases where the 
engravings are to be made by a small engraving house which does 
not have an art department. In the larger cities most engravers do 
the necessary retouching, and will accept a print such as the one 
illustrated in figure 1. 


41 



When using the illuminated light box, the object to he 
photographed is placed in the proper position on the 
glass plate, now, with the background lights switched off, 
the main lighting is arranged. The usual procedure calls 
for two lamps in separate reflectors, one on each side of 
the camera. To avoid reflections which might ruin the 
picture, the reflectors should be placed so that the light 
strikes the subject at an angle of about 45 degrees. Vary¬ 
ing the distance from the lamps to the subject places at 
the disposal of the photographer an almost unlimited 
number of lighting effects. 

Placing both lamps at equal distance from the subject 
will give a uniform lighting resulting in a flat and un¬ 
natural reproduction of any object which has depth and 
texture. The most pleasing results are usually obtained if 
one lamp is placed about fifty per cent farther from the 
subject than the other. 

The proper exposure should be determined, after 
which the background lights are turned on and the ex¬ 
posure made. There is only one certain means of deter¬ 
mining the proper exposure for this type of work, that is, 
make use of some kind of an exposure meter. Any effort 
to present some rule-of-thumb applicable to the many 
different subjects encountered in this work would only 
be confusing and of no practical value. The cheapest ex¬ 
posure meter will give far better results than guess-work, 
provided the instructions furnished with the meter are 
followed. 

Much that has been said so far concerning camera posi¬ 
tion, lighting, and exposure will apply when doing photo¬ 
graphic work for markets other than the one just dis¬ 
cussed. To summarize briefly; the camera position is dic¬ 
tated by the type of picture ordered. If any doubt exists 
in the mind of the photographer, the person ordering the 
work will usually be glad to furnish at least a crude 
sketch to serve as a guide when composing the picture. 

Lighting is a subject to which volumes have been and 
still can be devoted. The photographer will as a rule have 


42 



Figure 4. 

Illuminated Light Box. 



























little or no control over the natural lighting in out-of- 
door photography. If there is no particular rush for the 
work, the subject may he looked over and if the condi¬ 
tions are not exactly right, it will he a simple matter to 
determine the hour at which the sun will he in a favor¬ 
able position. If the order is a rush order, there is only 
one possible thing to do, try to get the best possible pic¬ 
ture obtainable under the conditions which prevail. 

Artificial illumination is completely under the control 
of the photographer. To master the subject in the most 
intelligent manner the photographer should choose a 
typical object and make a series of exposures, keeping an 
accurate record of the positions of the lamps in each 
different lighting set-up. A study of the finished prints 
will teach more about the effects of lighting than any 
other method that could be recommended. 

Retail Dealers 

Chain and department stores are the largest users of 
photographs among the many retail dealers. The majori¬ 
ty of this work will fall into two widely different classes, 
photographing display windows, and interior photog¬ 
raphy. 

In photographing display windows the photographer 
is confronted with the problem of shooting through glass 
and getting a picture of the display without including the 
reflections of other buildings, traffic, and other items 
which make a confusing jumble of detractive details. 

Windows which are floodlighted from the inside are 
the easiest to photograph, showing little or no reflections 
since the display itself is usually much brighter than any 
reflection on the window. Floodlighted windows are best 
taken late at night when traffic is at a low ebb. 

Many photographers are prejudiced against the mini¬ 
ature camera for this type of work because it lacks the 
various movements to permit the straightening of lines in 
composing the picture. While the lack of these compen¬ 
sating movements may be a slight handicap in a few ex¬ 
treme cases, in the majority of commercial jobs a very 


44 



Fig. 4-A. 

Illuminated light box in use. Typical set-up when photographing 
small objects recpiiring shadowless rendition against a white back¬ 
ground. 


45 




Figure 5. 

Straight print—to avoid catching the reflection of the camera and 
the photographer in the window, the shot was made from a point 
opposite the right end of the window. Many buyers will accept the 
resulting distortion without complaint. However, tilting the easel 
will make a satisfactory correction if necessary. 


satisfactory correction of lines may be made when pro¬ 
jecting the negative. Tilting the easel will accomplish 
practically the same result as will the use of the move¬ 
ments on the larger cameras. The movements are a neces¬ 
sity on the larger cameras since most of the prints are 
made by contact printing which permits no correction 
during the printing process. To demonstrate the correc¬ 
tion of lines possible by manipulation of the easel in 
making a projection print, compare figure 5, which is 
a straight print with no attempt to correct the lines, with 
figure 6, in which the easel was tilted until the lines are 
shown in a more natural aspect. 

Unlighted display windows will naturally be photo- 


46 










Figure 6. 

Made from the same negative as figure 5. Tilting the easel cor¬ 
rected the distortion due to camera position, and gives a picture 
ivhich appears to have been photographed from a point directly in 
front of the window. 


graphed by daylight. To assure a satisfactory picture the 
exposure should be made at a time when the sun is not 
shining directly on the surface of the glass. To avoid re¬ 
flections constitutes the greatest problem the photogra¬ 
pher will have to deal with in making such daylight 
shots. Most business men who have use for photos of 
display windows do not object to a few incidental reflec¬ 
tions as long as the reflections do not block out important 
parts of the display. 

Use of polarization screens has in the past few years 
become a common practice. While this accessory may not 
eliminate all of the reflections the results obtained are 
usually much superior to those obtained without the aid 


47 






of the screens. The use of such screens is very simple, the 
subject is viewed through the screens one of which is 
slowly rotated until a position is found where the reflec¬ 
tions are at a minimum. The screens are then carefully 
slipped on the lens mount in this same relative position. 
Since these screens eliminate certain light rays an in¬ 
crease in exposure is required. This increase varies with 
the setting of the screens and a table of factors is usually 
furnished by the manufacturer of the screens. 

Interior Photography 

Chain and department stores together with interior 
decorators make considerable use of interior photogra¬ 
phy. While it is possible to make interior views by the 
daylight which doors and windows admit, and also by the 
normal artificial illumination, the most effective and 
efficient illumination is furnished by the use of flash 
lamps. Practically all interior views of stores can he 
made by placing the camera on the tripod and making an 
open flash exposure by setting the shutter at bulb, open¬ 
ing the shutter, flashing the lamp and closing the shutter. 
This method will work satisfactorily even in a crowded 
store during a rush hour, the duration of the flash being 
in the neighborhood of one-fiftieth of a second, practi¬ 
cally all normal action will he stopped. 

In setting up the camera for such interior views it is 
usually best to choose a viewpoint slightly higher than 
normal eye-level and include more of the floor than of 
the ceiling in the picture to avoid a feeling of top-heavi¬ 
ness. 

Photographing interiors for decorators calls for a much 
higher class of work than that just discussed. The decor¬ 
ator is most interested in showing the beauty of his handi¬ 
work together with the surroundings. Much of this type 
of work will he done in the better class of homes, and 
while the beauty of the rooms will he the center of inter¬ 
est of such photographs, the decorator is usually also 
interested in preserving the view which is commanded 
through the doors and windows. From time to time 


48 



Figure 7 . 

Typical interior photograph, a combination daylight and photo¬ 
flash exposure. 


means have been suggested for obtaining a good interior 
view without sacrificing the details seen through the 
windows. Some photographers advocate setting up the 
camera and making two exposures on the same negative, 
one for the exterior details and the second for the 
interior with the windows and doors covered to block out 
the outside light. While it is possible to make use of this 
method with the miniature camera, the results can not 
be guaranteed due to the danger of moving the camera 
while resetting the shutter for the second exposure. 

The easiest and quickest method is to make use of 
enough light on the inside of the room to balance the 
outside lighting, making it possible to record both the 
interior and exterior in one exposure. While this entails 


49 






the use of two or more flash hulhs, the results obtained 
are well wortli the little additional expense. To arrive at 
the correct number of lamps to use it is only necessary to 
take an exposure reading through the window to deter¬ 
mine the correct aperture for a one second exposure. 
With this aperture in mind, consulting a flash exposure 
table will give the number of lamps needed to properly 
expose the interior during the one second exposure for 
the exterior. The use of a flash synchronizer will enable 
the use of larger apertures and shorter exposures, and 
in most cases will enable the exposure to he made with 
at least one less flash bulb than would he needed with the 
open flash exposure. 

Photo flash Exposure Table 

Average distance safely covered with fast Pan films such as E. K. 

S. S. Pan, Agfa Super-pan, DuPont Superior, and similar films. 


Aperture 

One 25c lamp 

Two 25c lamps 

One 75c lamp 

Two 75c lamps 

f :32 



7 feet 

10 feet 

f :22 

6 feet 

9 feet 

10 feet 

15 feet 

f: 16 

8 feet 

12 feet 

14 feet 

21 feet 

f :11 

11 feet 

16 feet 

20 feet 

30 feet 

f:8 

16 feet 

24 feet 

30 feet 

40 feet 

f: 5.6 

22 feet 

33 feet 

40 feet 

50 feet 

f :4 

30 feet 

45 feet 

50 feet 

60 feet 

f: 3.2 

40 feet 

60 feet 

70 feet 



To cite an example of how to determine the proper 
aperture and number of lamps to use, let us assume that 
the meter reading taken through the window indicates a 
one second exposure at f:ll, referring to the flash table 
we find that at f: 11 one 25^ lamp will give a full exposure 
at a distance of 11 feet. If the distance to be covered is in 
the neighborhood of 20 feet, one 75^ lamp will do the 
trick. If the 75^ lamps are not available use three 25^ 
lamps instead. This will usually result in a slight over¬ 
exposure which will do no harm. Interiors made by this 
method will he surprisingly natural in appearance, the 
interior will he well lighted while the view through the 
window creates an illusion of remarkable depth. 
Landscape Gardeners 

While the mention of landscape gardeners may bring to 
the mind of the reader the idea that anyone skilled in 


50 





producing pictorial landscape studies should find this a 
good market for his efforts. This is far from the truth. 

1 he type of pictures that interest the landscape gardener 
are those taken from a rather high point of view. The 
picture should show the design and general plan of the 
landscaping, including the walks, shrubbery and flower 
beds. If the landscape gardener has done the landscaping 
on any really large estates, it will he found that he might 
even he eager to stand the expense of getting good aerial 
photographs of the estates. 

The use of filters is indicated in this work in order to 
produce the most pleasing results. As a general rule pan¬ 
chromatic film should he used together with a light or 
medium yellow filter. If the finished picture is to be 
tinted, a panchromatic green filter such as the Wratten 
XI will be found very useful. Most important of all ad¬ 
vice is, however, do not he afraid to climb up to get a 
high camera position. The top of a car will sometimes 
furnish a satisfactory position, hut if possible it will be 
advisable to work from the roof of an adjoining building. 

Architects and Building Contractors 

Architects and building contractors are interested in a 
type of photography which should not be difficult for the 
average photographer to produce. The most important 
point to keep in mind is that the architect and contractor 
are anxious to have pictures that actually show the 
beauty of design and workmanship they have put into a 
structure. A pictorial study of architectural detail which < 

might well earn for the photographer the applause of the 
world when hung in the pictorial salons, will seldom en¬ 
tice checks from a practical architect or contractor. 

As a general rule if a picture of a house or building is 
ordered, the buyer wants and expects to get, a picture 
showing the entire building from an angle which makes 
the most pleasing impression. When only a part of the 
building is to be photographed it will usually be so 
specified when placing the order. 

Beautiful cloud effects may enhance a picture from the 


51 


pictorial standpoint, but when the picture is to he used in 
trying to sell an idea to a prospect, such clouds are usual¬ 
ly detracting details which may well lead the beholder to 
remark, “My, what a pretty picture,” rather than drive 
home the point that here is a beautiful and practical 
home. 

Photographs of buildings under construction are usual¬ 
ly made under the supervision of the contractor, who will 
point out to the photographer the particular features to 
he photographed. As with most types of strictly record 
photography, little special knowledge is required other 
than the ability to produce a properly exposed negative 
and good snappy prints. 

By following the instructions given by the buyer, and 
making every effort to furnish exactly the kind of pic¬ 
tures asked for, the photographer will soon find that the 
markets discussed in this chapter will provide a steady 
stream of profitable business. 

What to Charge 

Newcomers to the field of commercial photography are 
many times puzzled over what constitutes a fair charge 
for their services. While a few beginners make the mis¬ 
take of asking too high a price, a far more common mis¬ 
take is that of placing too low a value on their work. 

While the prices asked and paid for photographic 
work may vary in different communities, and any sched¬ 
ule of prices suggested here might require a little altera¬ 
tion either up or down to fit the tempo of business in any 
particular section, the photographer should bear in mind 
the fact that he is entering the business to earn a reason¬ 
able income, and not merely for the pleasure of working. 

For the average type of record work such as discussed 
in this chapter, a flat rate per picture ranging from two 
($2.00) dollars for one 5x7 print, to three ($3.00) dol¬ 
lars for an 8 x 10 print represents a price level which is 
more or less standard. Duplicate prints are usually fur¬ 
nished at more reasonable figures, ranging from 25^ each 
for the 5x7, up to 60^' each for the 8 x 10 prints. 


52 


The prices suggested here cover only the negative and 
the prints, any additional expense incurred in making the 
picture should he charged for. Such additional charges 
usually consist of traveling expense, flash lamps, model 
fees, and sometimes materials used in constructing sets. 

If pictures are ordered which will entail any of the 
above mentioned additional expenses, he certain to make 
it very plain to the person ordering the pictures that 
these extra expenses will he included in the hill. Failure 
to do so may result in a loss on the job. 


53 


CHAPTER FIVE 


Legal, Accident and Insurance Work 


The legal profession makes use of photography as a 
means of presenting facts having a direct hearing on 
points called into question in the course of preparing a 
brief and arguing a case. 

The commercial photographer will often he called up¬ 
on to furnish photographs of items of evidence, the 
nature of which is such that the items themselves cannot 
conveniently be introduced in court. 

As a general rule the commercial photographer will 
seldom, if ever, be called upon to furnish photographic 
evidence for use in criminal court. Practically all of this 
work is handled by the municipal, county, or state police 
photographer. 

The greater part of the photographic evidence re¬ 
quired in civil law suits will usually be found in connec¬ 
tion with claims for damages arising from accidents, 
mis-use of property, and encroachment on the rights of 
others. 

Claims for damages arising from accidents are most 
common, and will furnish the commercial photographer 
a considerable bit of business. Since the basis of justice 
in this country is the contention that a person is innocent 
until proven guilty, the burden of proof rests upon the 


54 


party claiming the damages. Therefore, the hulk of the 
photographer’s business in this line will come from the 
attorney representing the plaintiff. In the event of an 
accident involving a motor vehicle, where an insurance 
company is likely to he the defendant in a damage suit, 
the insurance adjuster or the attorney for the insurance 
company might ask for photographs to he introduced as 
evidence that the defendant was not entirely to blame 
for the accident, and that negligence on the part of the 
plaintiff was a contributing factor, thus nullifying the 
plaintiff’s claim for damages. 

Probably the most common type of accident, other 
than those involving motor vehicles, is that in which a 
person suffers injury in a fall caused by stumbling over 
faulty pavement, driveways, sidewalks or stairways. In 
making photographs to be used as evidence in such acci¬ 
dent cases the photographer should always keep in mind 
the fact that the purpose of the photographs is to show 
plainly the cause of the accident together with proof of 
the responsibility of the defendant. 

To give the reader some idea as to the type of pictures 
required, a typical case involving one of the more com¬ 
mon accidents will be followed through and examples of 
the photographer’s share of the work will he discussed. 

Assume that the photographer is called upon to secure 
photographic evidence for the plaintiff, who suffered in¬ 
juries in a fall caused by a faulty spot in a sidewalk. A 
suit for damages will be filed against either the owner of 
the property, or the city officials, depending on local 
ordinances fixing the responsibility for maintaining the 
walks in safe condition. If doubt exists as to where this 
responsibility rests, the suit will usually he filed against 
both the city and the property owner. 

The problem of the photographer is to obtain photo¬ 
graphs which show that the sidewalk in question is, or 
was, at the time of the accident in a condition which con¬ 
stituted a hazard to the life and limb of an innocent 


55 



Figure 8. 


pedestrian. I o show this condition in a manner which 
will he accepted as evidence in court calls for a series of 
photographs showing three important facts. First, a 
general view of the sidewalk, showing that it contains a 
faulty section. Second, a close-up shot of the faulty sec¬ 
tion showing the extent of the danger. Third, a view 
showing the relation between the faulty walk and the 
property of the defendant. 

In addition to each picture plainly showing its pur¬ 
pose, there must he a definite relation between each of 
the pictures. Unless this relation between the several 
views exists and is plainly recognizable, the photographs 
are likely to he rejected by the court as not constituting 
usable evidence. 

In making a close-up shot for the purpose of showing 


56 



Figure 9. 


the extent of the clanger, it might he well to keep in mind 
the fact that the old saying, “that a camera never lies,” 
should not he taken too seriously. While the camera may 
not tell a lie, it can he guilty of gross exaggeration which 
in a court of law will he frowned upon as severely as 
would a deliberate misstatement of facts. To avoid the 
possibility of exaggeration and also the possibility of the 
picture failing to tell the whole story, some object of 
known size should lie included in the picture. The object 
included may he a human hand, a foot, or better yet, a 
measuring device such as a rule or yardstick with calibra¬ 
tions which will be plainly readable in the finished print. 
In this manner the photograph will he of undisputed 
value as evidence. The relation between the commonly 
known object and the subject of the picture will establish 


57 


beyond doubt, a true measure of tbe conditions tbat 
existed when the picture was made. 

In making the view which is to show the relation be¬ 
tween the walk and the property of the defendant, the 
most important point is to get a shot which shows with¬ 
out question that the faulty spot is located within the 
boundary lines of the property. If the faulty spot lies 
close to one of the boundary lines it will be necessary to 
mark the boundary plainly on the sidewalk in order that 
there can be no question raised over this important piece 
of evidence. 

Figures 8, 9, and 10 illustrate a set of photographs such 
as would be produced in connection with a case of this 
nature. 

The technique outlined in this typical case will apply 
to practically all legal and accident work done by the 
commercial photographer. Naturally, where the accident 
is of a different nature, the elements involved will differ, 
but the purpose of the photographs still remain the same, 
to show the cause and fix the responsibility. 

Attorneys will at times have photographs made to be 
used as evidence in cases other than those involving acci¬ 
dents. The field is so large, and the number of subjects 
covered so great that an effort to discuss this work in all 
its phases could well be extended into volumes without 
giving the newcomer information that would help to add 
to his volume of business. The best advice is for the pho¬ 
tographer to follow whatever instructions may be given 
when the pictures are ordered. The attorney usually has 
a definite idea as to how a subject should appear in a 
picture in order to serve his purpose, and will always be 
found willing to spend a little time to get the project 
straightened out in the mind of the photographer. 

Photographs made for insurance adjusters will differ 
very little from the type of photos required by the legal 
profession. Since the automobile accident is the most 
common, it is only natural that the bulk of the work the 


58 



Figure 10. 


photographer will receive from this source will deal with 
this type of accident. 

Photographs are required by insurance adjusters as 
part of their report on the accident, and play an im¬ 
portant part in helping the claim department decide on 
the merits of the claim for damages. If the claim agent 
decides that the policy holder was not to blame for the 
accident, and allows the claim to go to court, the photo¬ 
graphs will be used as evidence in the defense of the case. 
The photographs called for will generally consist of a set 
showing the scene of the accident, damage done to the 
vehicles involved and, if necessary, the damage done to 
other property. 

In photographing the scene of the accident the photog¬ 
rapher will be guided by a diagram of the accident which 


59 







will be furnished by the insurance adjuster. The diagram 
will show the exact point of impact, and the direction the 
involved vehicles were traveling. The object of photo¬ 
graphing the scene of the accident is to show the view 
commanded by each driver, together with any obstruc¬ 
tions, warning signs or traffic signals which may have a 
hearing on the case. Tire marks on the pavement, if 
plainly visible, give definite indication of the speed the 
vehicles were traveling, and should he photographed 
whenever possible. 

Photographs of the damage done to the vehicles should 
he made in a manner that the picture will show which 
vehicle was struck, and which did the striking. In the 
case of head-on collisions it will usually he impossible to 
show anything other than the extent of the damage, hut 
in the case of a collision at an intersection, or where one 
vehicle side swipes another, marks on the vehicles to¬ 
gether with the location of the damage will usually tell 
the story of the accident. 

In making photographs to be used as evidence in court, 
there are several very important points for the photog¬ 
rapher to keep in mind. First, the subjects photographed 
must he plainly recognizable, this calls for sharp focus, 
proper exposure, careful processing, and clean prints. 
Second, make all prints on glossy paper unless some 
other finish is specifically asked for. Third, retouching 
is not permissable on photographs to he used as legal 
evidence. 

As a general rule regular commercial rates are charged 
for this type of work. Any additional expense, other than 
the cost of film, chemicals, paper and normal traveling 
within the area served by the photographer, should he 
added to the hill. In this connection it might he well to 
call the attention to the fact that most of the traveling 
done by the photographer will he by automobile, and the 
usual practice is to make a charge for all mileage beyond 
the city limits. While the cost of operating different 
makes of cars may vary a hit, the generally accepted 


60 


charge is ten (10^) cents per mile. Thus, if a job is lo¬ 
cated twenty miles away, the photographer is within his 
rights in making a charge of four dollars for making one 
round trip. 

While on the subject of prices it might he well to call 
the attention of the newcomer to a practice sometimes 
indulged in by photographers which should he frowned 
upon. Many attorneys take cases on the basis that if they 
win a judgment their fees will be a stated percentage, if 
they lose there is no charge. Needing photographic evi¬ 
dence, these attorneys will usually make the photogra¬ 
pher a proposition along similar lines, most often they 
will offer to pay double the usual commercial rate for the 
photos if they win, but nothing if they lose the case. 

Being purely speculative, the chances of losing money 
are as great, if not greater, than the chances of profiting. 
While a few photographers seem to be lucky in getting 
work on cases which turn out in their favor, the poor- 
houses and breadlines are full of photographers who lost 
money faster than they could make it on speculative busi¬ 
ness. The safest and best policy for the photographer is 
to establish his prices, and make his collections regard¬ 
less of the outcome of the case. 

In some cases it may he necessary for the photographer 
to appear in court as an expert witness in connection with 
the photographic evidence. Since appearing in court 
takes up valuable time, it is only natural that the photog¬ 
rapher should be reimbursed for this service. The usual 
charge made by commercial photographers calls for a 
minimum of ten ($10) dollars for each day or part of a 
day spent in court. In order to avoid any misunderstand¬ 
ing, it is well for the photographer to call to the attention 
of the attorney, the fact that the prices quoted on the 
photographs do not include the services of the photog¬ 
rapher as an expert witness. 


61 


CHAPTER SIX 


The Real Estate Market 


Real estate photography offers the competent amateur 
the easiest and quickest means of turning his hobby into 
a paying business. Although the use of photography in 
this field has been rather restricted in the past, little 
difficulty will be encountered in convincing the real estate 
agent of the value of photographs as a marketing aid. 

The responsibility for the failure of real estate agents 
to exploit the use of photographs more fully rests square¬ 
ly on the shoulders of the photographer. Failure to 
understand the nature of the real estate business, to¬ 
gether with the stubbornness of an army mule in refusing 
to accept a modern business practice, has kept a veritable 
flood of profitable business away from the commercial 
photograpers. 

Practically all real estate offices operate on a strictly 
commission basis, this means that any and all money 
spent in advertising and showing a property is a specu¬ 
lative expenditure and a total loss if the property is not 
sold within the time limit set up in the listing contract. 
While this condition exists in almost every business, it is 
far more acute in real estate due to the fact that only a 
small percentage of the properties listed for sale are sold. 
Lacking the ability to foretell whether a particular 


62 


property will be sold, common sense and business ethics 
demand that an honest effort be made to promote the sale 
of each and every property offered for sale. Naturally 
the percentage ol sales dictates the amount of money 
that may be spent upon any one property in the effort to 
find a buyer. Newspaper advertising together with the 
posting of signs have proven most dependable in the past, 
and so it is only natural that the greater part of the 
budget on each property is alloted to these items. This 
leaves a limited amount of money to be spent for other 
means of finding buyers for the property. With a very 
few exceptions, the usual rates demanded by photogra¬ 
phers are too high to enable the real estate agents to 
make effective use of photography without curtailing the 
expenditures for other essential purposes. The refusal on 
the part of most photographers to make a small conces¬ 
sion on prices has forced real estate men to get along as 
best they can without the aid of good photographs. 

While the policy of indiscriminate price-cutting is to 
be frowned upon, it would be well for the photographer 
to consider that a very common and accepted business 
practice is to favor the quantity buyer with a better price 
than is offered to the small lot buyer. This practice, ap¬ 
plied to the real estate market, will bring the photogra¬ 
pher a large volume of work, and in the end bring a 
greater return than could be derived from the small 
amount of work forthcoming at the higher prices. 

The photographic requirements of the real estate 
market can be roughly classified as follows, window dis¬ 
plays usually calling for 8 x 10 glossy prints, office files 
using either a small glossy print clipped to the file card 
or a special photographic card with the picture on one 
side and the file form on the other, notebook forms 
for salesmen’s portfolios, and last but not least, photo 
surveys for loan applications. 

Some of this work can be handled without the aid of 
special equipment. However, photographic file cards and 
notebook inserts require the use of a small printing press. 


63 



Figure 11. 

This is an example of a poor piece of real estate photography. 
The camera position being directly in front of the property gives a 
picture which shows nothing but the front of the house. One can 
only assume that this is really a house and not merely a dummy set 
such as used in the movies. 


Elaborate printing equipment is not needed, most any 
kind of hand power press will serve the purpose as the 
required forms are not large and the printing need not 
he of the highest quality. 

The competent amateur will experience little difficulty 
in producing satisfactory photographs, since practically 
all of the work will he exterior work, interior views are 
rarely required. 

The object of real estate photography is to present a 
picture of the home or building, showing it to the best 
advantage. A comparison of Figures 11 and 12 shows 
the striking difference between a poor photograph, taken 
from the wrong position, and a good picture. 


64 
































Figure 12. 

The same property as shown in figure 11. Note the effect of 
changing the camera position. Here we have a picture which shows 
this particular house to its best advantage. Note also that the verti¬ 
cal lines in the picture have been corrected by tilting the easel in 
making the print. 


From the appearance of figure 11, it almost seems that 
even a rank amateur would not be guilty of producing 
such a poor likeness of a home, but this is the type of 
picture that will he found in any real estate office. Such 
snapshots are usually made by members of the office staff 
who have cameras and their lack of interest in photogra¬ 
phy probably accounts for the poor results. I have, how¬ 
ever, seen examples of work done by commercial photog¬ 
raphers which were no better than the work of an 
ordinary snapshooter. Poor photography has been ac¬ 
cepted by real estate men for the simple reason that they 
have found that even a poor picture is better than no 
picture at all. However, good photography will be highly 


65 








Figure 13. 

This file card is a very popular item and should be of great value 
to the beginner in building up a successful business. Printed on 
double weight bromide paper, glossy and ferrotyped. The form on 
the reverse side was printed from a zinc plate by means of a small 
hand press such as that shown in figure 14. 

appreciated, and the photographer who strives to deliver 
only the best possible pictures obtainable will be reward¬ 
ed by a greatly increased volume of business. It costs no 
more to produce a good picture, so by all means, make it 
a habit to study the property through your viewfinder 
from several angles before choosing the point from which 
to finally make the exposure. 

The cardinal points to bear in mind when photograph¬ 
ing real estate, are that the pictures to be of the utmost 
value must show the general shape of the building, must 
give a fairly accurate impression of the size of the build¬ 
ing, and at the same time show the condition of the 
building. 

The general shape and size of a building can he best 
shown when the camera is set up in a position so as to 
show both the front and one side of the building. Where 
there is a garage in connection with the property, the 
picture should he taken from the side which shows the 


66 






V Indicate* "Yes" o Indicates **No'* 

Street No. 

Street or A venue 

Paving 

Sire Lot 

not No. 1 

Addition 


No. Room* 

2 FI. 

Floor* 

I mifh 

Sip. Porch 

Deck j Bath 

Floors—Wa lis 

Tub—Lavatory Shower 

No. Room* 

1 FI. 

Floors 

Finish 

Vestibule 

Solarium 

Brk. Room 

lavatory | Toilet 

1 


'how Heated 

Fireplace 

j Re^. "loom 

Attic 

Buffet 

Lookcase* 

Chute 

Ldry. Tubs 

Style W. Heater 

Additional features: 

Mortgage Balance 

I . 

Holder 


Due Date 


Payments 


Int. Rate 


2 .. 

3 ... 

Delinquent Taxes and Asses*.—Current 


Lulevied Assess. Pavement — Sewer — Water — Sidewalk 


Tenant's Name 


Keys at 


Owuer’s Name 


Cash Required 


Dank Account 


Lip. 


B 

6 

06 | Apt. 

Ac g 

Comm I Iud. 

Green 

Red 

Black Orange 

Sub. 

Brown Blue 



| 

Purple 

j 


Figure 13-A. 

Form ivhich appears on reverse side of file card shoivn in Figure 13. 


garage and the driveway. Whether or not the picture 
shows the true condition of the building depends entirely 
on the exposure given in making the negative. Over 
exposure sometimes results in giving the appearance of 
a freshly painted surface on a building which may ac¬ 
tually be badly in need of paint. Under exposure on the 
other hand can make a freshly painted house look as if 
it needs a coat of paint. 

While every effort should he made to turn out good 
pictures, the photographer will at times encounter con¬ 
ditions which make it practically impossible to secure a 
good picture, and at the same time do justice to the 
property in question. The majority of photographs will 
be made in bright sunlight, and under these conditions it 
will be found that buildings located on the north side of 
the street can be photographed at most any time and the 


67 
































































results will l)e good. Buildings which face the east should 
be photographed between sunrise and noon, while those 
facing the west should be photographed in the afternoon 
in order to avoid backlighting and heavy shadows on the 
front of the building. Buildings facing the north are 
difficult to photograph properly, on clear sunny days the 
best results will be obtained either early in the morning 
or late in the afternoon. If the buyer is in a rush for the 
pictures, and they must he taken at a time when the 
building is strongly back lighted, several precautions 
must be taken in order to secure a negative which will 
yield a half-way decent print. Make absolutely certain 
that the sun does not shine directly into the lens of the 
camera. If the sunshade is not sufficient protection it 
will he necessary to cast a shadow over the lens with the 
hand or a hat, making certain, of course, that the object 
casting the shadow will not he included in the picture. 
Give a liberal exposure in order to produce ample 
shadow detail. The resulting negatives will he quite dense 
and the print should be made on a soft contrast paper. 

If the pictures are to be used for a window display it 
will only he necessary for the photographer to make 
enlargements of the size required. Most window displays 
are designed to make use of 8 x 10 prints since this size 
is large enough to attract attention and to he easily 
studied from a distance. Some offices lacking ample 
window space are forced to make use of smaller prints, 
5x7 prints are, however, about the smallest that can he 
successfully used in a window display. 

In connection with the pictures for the window dis¬ 
play, most offices will also he interested in adding to their 
usual file of information concerning the properties they 
have to offer, a picture of each property. This problem 
is most commonly solved by having a small print made 
and clipped directly to the card hearing the information 
concerning the particular property. While this system 
works out fairly well, a far more business-like and effi¬ 
cient file will result if the picture is printed on a double* 


68 



Figure 14. 

Hand power printing press suitable for printing forms on the re¬ 
verse side of photographic paper. 


weight card of appropriate size, with the required form 
printed on the reverse side. Figure 13 illustrates a stand¬ 
ard 4x6 file card made on double weight glossy paper. 

In order to supply this type of file card the photog¬ 
rapher must provide himself with some sort of means of 
printing on the reverse side of the photographic paper. 
The most convenient and easiest method is to make use 
of a small hand power printing press such as the one 
shown in figure 14. These presses can usually be bought 
second hand for a reasonable figure. Inquiries among 
local printers will bring to light any number of small 
presses in good working condition. In the absence of 
printing equipment it is possible to have a rubber stamp 
made and make the impressions with this stamp. The 


69 


results are likely to be rather crude, so this method 
should not he resorted to unless absolutely necessary. 

If the printing is done with a press, it will he necessary 
to have an engraver make zinc plates for the various 
forms to be printed. 

Printing on the reverse side of photographic paper is 
not a difficult process. In order to save time and mate¬ 
rials a supply of forms should he printed in advance. 
This naturally calls for working under the proper safe- 
lights while doing the printing. 

In printing on the reverse side of photographic paper 
an ink which dries instantly is required, ordinary job ink 
will not prove satisfactory as it tends to soak into the 
paper and kill the sensitivity of the emulsion. While 
there are probably many suitable inks available, good 
results have been obtained with either Kelly Black or 
All Purpose Black. These two inks can be obtained at 
most any printers’ supply house. 

After the photographer has equipped himself with a 
small printing press, there is still another type of com¬ 
bination photograph and printed form which will find 
a ready market and add greatly to the volume of busi¬ 
ness. Figure 15 illustrates a loose-leaf note book insert 
which has proven to be a very popular item. While the 
form illustrated is made especially for a small loose-leaf 
binder that can be conveniently carried in a coat pocket, 
the same idea can be easily applied to most any size form. 

Loose-leaf forms such as these must be printed on the 
thinnest photographic paper available. Until recently 
such thin papers were available only in contact papers 
such as Eastman Ad-Type and Agfa Nokoline. Printing 
on these papers by projection calls for the use of a photo 
flood lamp in the miniature enlarger. 

There is now available a very thin enlarging paper 
known as Haloid Outline Bromide which can be handled 
in the same manner as any other bromide paper. Un¬ 
doubtedly other similar papers will appear on the mar¬ 
ket in the future. 


70 


In printing the form on the reverse side of this thin 
paper use only the smallest possible amount of ink and 
the lightest printing pressure that will give readable 
printing. The printing need not be a solid black, in fact 
a light uniform gray imprint makes a neater looking 
form and allows the written material on the form to 
stand out more boldly. 

Thus far we have considered only those photographic 
services which may be considered as expense items in the 
marketing of real estate, and which to date have not been 
widely used. With a very few exceptions the photogra¬ 
pher will find that he is introducing something entirely 
new to the real estate men in his community, and if his 
prices are in line with what his prospects can afford to 
pay, he will soon find that he has a full time job supply¬ 
ing the demand. 

To the photographer who is interested in furnishing 
only photographs for window displays and small prints 
to be clipped to file cards, the following prices are sug¬ 
gested, $2.00 per property for one 8 x 10 glossy print and 
one small print about 2 x 3 in size. If 5 x 7 prints are 
required a price of about $1.50 per property will be 
about right. Experience has proven that higher prices 
result in no sales, hut at this level the real estate men will 
not hesitate to make full use of the many advantages 
photography can offer. 

Where the special photographic file cards are used in 
place of the small print, a fair price would be about $2.50 
for the one 8 x 10 print and the file card. Note-book in¬ 
serts such as the one illustrated in figure 15 will usually 
bring about 15^ per copy. The number of copies required 
by any particular office will depend entirely on the size of 
the sales force. 

In addition to the real estate photography discussed in 
the preceding parts of this chapter, there is one other 
type of work which the photographer should make every 
effort to get. Many real estate offices act as agents for 
banks and insurance companies, handling the applica- 


71 



72 


Loose-leaf note book insert, printed on a thin foldable bromide paper. These inserts are 
another popular item and will bring in many an additional dollar. 

























Street 


Paved with 


Mo. 


Section 

Date 

Lot No. 

Addition 

Lot Size 

Assess. Unpaid 

Price Cash Terms 

Taxes V 2 Year 

1st Mtge. 

Where 

Date Due 

Terms 

2nd Mtge. 

VVhere 

Date Due 

Terms 

Vestibule ‘Yes' ‘No’ 

Rms. 1st Bedrms. 2d 

Bedrooms 3rd 

Baths Style Tub 

Breakfast Room 

Sun Room Airing Porch 

Sleeping Porch 

Buffet Fireplace 

( Walls 1st 
) Walls 2nd 

Bookcase Library 

Floors, 1st: { p[^ e Floors, 2nd { p^ e 

Finish, 1st 

Finish, 2nd 

Heat 

isxassrcio. chute 

Laundry Tubs 

Cellar ) g£ t . 

Mat. of Bldg 

Foundation 

Stories Attic 

Roof Age 

Walk Drive 

Garage Alley 

{$3S Sign 

Occupied by { 

Amt. of Rental 

Lease Expires 

Possession Given 

Listed by 

Seller agrees to pay 
and Payable 

Taxes and Assessments Du< 
193 

Owner 

Address 

Phone No 


Remarks: 


Figure 15-A . 

Form appearing on reverse side of loose-leaf note book insert 
shown in Figure 15. 


73 






































tions for loans for new construction, repairs, and the 
financing of the purchase of homes. A photo survey is 
usually required to he submitted along with the applica¬ 
tion in order to give the lending agency something 
definite upon which to base their decision on whether or 
not the loan shall be granted. 

While some agencies will accept ordinary snapshots, a 
more business-like and convenient form is usually re¬ 
quired. Figure 16 illustrates a form which is most com¬ 
monly used. It consists of a view of the improvements, in 
other words, a good picture of the building, together 
with a street view to give the comparison between the 
property in question and the general class of the homes 
in that neighborhood. These two pictures are printed on 
one sheet of photographic paper together with the name 
of the agent handling the application. 

At first glance this may seem to be a difficult process, 
but with the application of a little ingenuity it will he 
found a simple matter to produce such forms with a 
minimum of work and waste. The first step will be to 
make the master negative of the form required by the 
particular office for which the work is being done. The 
form illustrated in figure 16 is one most commonly used 
in connection with mortgage loans, however, some com¬ 
panies may desire a different wording or spacing, but in 
any event the steps outlined here will apply regardless of 
the specific make-up of the form. The master negative 
may be made on a glass photographic plate such as a 
process plate or, better yet, on either process film or a 
reproduction film such as Kodalith or Reprolith. By 
making the master on film rather than on glass plates 
there is less danger of breakage. 

The easiest way to make this master negative is as 
follows: on a sheet of thin white paper of the required 
size rule in with ink, preferably black india ink, the 
borders, then letter in the headings leaving a space to set 
in the company name which can he cut out of one of the 
company letterheads. Now in the darkroom, under the 


74 



PHOTO SURVEY 

for 


° ,lu ETCHENLUTZ q>. 


Of l‘rfmi»e* Known 4» 


STREET VIEW 

Applicant 

Date 


Figure 16. 

This is a form which is commonly used in connection with appli¬ 
cations for mortgage loans. 1 he form is most generally printed on 
8% x 11 or letter size photographic paper. The best paper for this 
purpose is a semi-matte paper of very light weight, prefer ably a 
paper which can be folded without cracking the picture. 


75 














proper safe-light, place the paper form face down on the 
emulsion side of a fresh piece of film, place a glass over 
the combination to insure proper contact. To make the 
exposure use a clear twenty-five watt lamp at a distance 
of about three feet and give about three seconds expo¬ 
sure. When the film is developed and fixed you will have 
a master negative to be used on all loan applications 
received through that particular company. If work is 
done for other firms it will he a simple matter to prepare 
a form for each. 

In order to locate the position for the two pictures 
which must be printed on the form, a template of fogged 
and developed film should he made. Make this template 
the same size as the form and cut out the two rectangular 
openings of the exact size and position the photos will 
occupy on the finished form. 

In order to save time and unnecessary motions in going 
through the operations of printing the forms it will he 
advisable to prepare a simple printing device by hinging 
the master negative and the template to a piece of glass 
slightly larger than the form to be printed. Cement or 
tape the master negative in contact with the glass, making 
certain that when the unit is looked at from the glass side 
that the form is right side up and readable. Now with a 
piece of scotch tape hinge the template over the master 
negative. 

Using the template and a sharp pencil, mark the lower 
corners of each picture area directly on the emulsion of 
the paper. Now turn the paper over so that the emulsion 
is in contact with the master negative and make the print¬ 
ing exposure under the enlarger. Then insert the proper 
negative in the enlarger and print it in its proper position 
on the paper being guided by the marks which will fall 
into place in the lower corners of the opening in the 
enlarging easel. After the three printing operations are 
completed, the paper is developed and the result will be 
a form such as the one illustrated. 

While it has taken quite a number of words to explain 


76 


the procedure, it will be found that after a little practice 
you will he able to knock out quite a few of these forms 
in an hour’s time. 

In the matter of price, loan applications will usually 
bring better prices than the usual run of real estate pho¬ 
tography, since the charge for the photographic service 
is passed on to the applicant for the loan. The photogra¬ 
pher will be safe in demanding a minimum of at least 
$5.00 for making a set of photos for this purpose. 

This pretty well covers the field of real estate photog¬ 
raphy, there will be at times other odd jobs in this field 
such as photos to accompany an appraisal. Such jobs 
will bring the usual commercial rates as the cost of the 
photos is passed on to the client having the appraisal 
made. 

All in all this is probably the most fertile field for the 
beginner to cultivate, and the amateur who seriously in¬ 
tends to turn professional will soon find that he has a 
full time and profitable business if he devotes a little 
extra time to developing the real estate market in his 
territory. 


77 


CHAPTER SEVEN 


Profitable Sidelines 


In addition to the work outlined in the previous chap¬ 
ters, the photographer will do well to keep his mind open 
to any photographic sidelines which he may he capable 
of handling. 

In the smaller communities probably the most profit¬ 
able sideline is doing photo finishing for others in the 
community, together with the copying and enlarging of 
snapshots. In the larger cities this particular sideline is 
not likely to be very profitable due to the fact that the 
photographer will be in competition with the larger 
photo finishing plants which are equipped to do the work 
at prices which do not allow much profit on a small 
volume of work. 

The photographer who is located in a territory fre¬ 
quently visited by tourists will do well to investigate the 
possibility of making and selling scenic postcards and 
other photographic souvenirs. Scenic enlargements, tint¬ 
ed either in water colors or oils, and tastily framed or 
mounted are always a good selling item. 

Another sideline which is frequently overlooked is that 
of photographing homes for the home owners. This 
should add many an extra dollar to the income of the 
photographer doing real estate photography without 


78 


conflicting with his regular run ol work. The negatives 
can be made while out photographing other real estate, 
later on, a small sample print can be made and mailed to 
the address together with a price on prints of various 
sizes. Even though this is a purely speculative sideline, 
it is surprising how many times these shots in the dark 
do result in sales well worth making. 

Another angle the photographer should always keep in 
mind is the publication value of any photographs he may 
he called upon to make. Many times it will be found that 
photographs taken for some commercial purpose will 
find a ready market in some popular magazine or trade 
journal. If you have a hunch that some picture you are 
making may have this publication value, do not be afraid 
to ask your client for permission to submit a copy of the 
photograph together with a short descriptive caption. In 
most cases the person ordering the pictures will have no 
objection to the photographer submitting the photos to 
some magazine, as the publicity obtained is usually con¬ 
sidered worth while. 

In submitting such work to the magazines there are a 
few important points for the photographer to bear in 
mind. Most magazines prefer the 8 x 10 glossy print to¬ 
gether with a clearly written caption giving all pertinent 
data concerning the subject matter of the photos. It is 
not necessary to write a long winded article in order to 
sell pictures to the magazines, it is only necessary that 
between the pictures and the captions the questions of 
WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHERE, and WHEN and HOW, 
are completely answered. Naturally if an interesting 
article accompanies the pictures the price paid will be a 
little better than if a mere descriptive caption is added, 
however, it is beyond the scope of this book to give full 
instructions in the art of photo-journalism. Any photog¬ 
rapher interested in this kind of work will have no 
trouble locating plenty of books devoted entirely to this 
subject. 

The main purpose of this little discussion of sidelines 


79 


lias been merely to call to the attention of the photog¬ 
rapher the fact that if he is willing to work as hard for 
himself as he would have to work for someone else, there 
is no reason on earth why he should not he able to enjoy 
an income far better than that enjoyed by the average 
citizen in his community. 

No effort has been made to give detailed instructions as 
to how to do the actual work connected with these vari¬ 
ous sidelines, for the simple reason that most of the work 
is ordinary routine photography which should offer no 
obstacles to the average competent amateur. The writer 
deems it of far more importance to the success of the 
prospective photographer to keep hammering away at 
the theme that “thar’s gold in them thar ideas” and that 
the man with the ability to conceive new ideas, and new 
applications for photography, will never suffer from the 
lack of the stuff known as “the filthy lucre.” 


80 


CHAPTER EIGHT 


Natural Color Photography 


The future of photography definitely lies with natural 
color work. It may seem rash, hut at the same time it is 
almost safe to venture to predict that the time will soon 
come when the ordinary hlack and white photograph, so 
common today, will he almost as rare as the tintype of a 
few decades ago. 

The laws of nature governing optics and the action of 
light, together with certain fundamentals which no 
amount of further progress can change, make it a fore¬ 
gone conclusion that the color camera of the future will 
definitely he the miniature camera. Anyone doubting 
this conclusion need but glance through the many natural 
color illustrations now appearing in the national maga¬ 
zines. While a large proportion of these illustrations are 
made with the huge and expensive one-shot color cam¬ 
eras, more and more illustrations are appearing which 
have been made by the miniature camera on natural 
color film. 

There are many means of reproducing a scene in 
natural color, the first method, devised many years ago, 
consists of making three separate negatives on hlack and 
white film. One negative is made through a red filter, the 


second is made through a green filter and the third is 
made through a blue filter. These black and white nega¬ 
tives are known as color separation negatives. From these 
negatives it is possible by various means to produce 
natural color prints or lantern slides. As far as the 
miniature camera is concerned the making of direct color 
separation negatives is limited to still-life subjects and, 
therefore, is not a very practical process from the view¬ 
point of the commercial photographer who will have to 
he prepared to furnish natural color shots which involve 
the use of models and the stopping of action which may 
not be perceptible to the eye, but which would ruin a set 
of separation negatives. The writer is well aware of this 
fact as he tried years ago to make a natural color portrait 
by this crude method. Perfect registration was secured in 
all parts of the picture except the eyes. The model was 
successful in holding the pose through all three expo¬ 
sures, but her eyes just refused to assume the same identi¬ 
cal position for each subsequent exposure, with the result 
that in the finished picture her eyes resembled rainbows, 
and gave a rather weird and ghostly effect to what would 
have otherwise been a highly successful natural color 
portrait. 

The one-shot color camera makes use of the same prin¬ 
ciple of color separation negatives made directly from 
the subject. Through an arrangement of reflectors and 
filters within the camera it is possible to make all three 
negatives with one exposure. This application of the old 
process has made possible the inclusion of living models 
and moderate action in color photographs. While the 
one-shot camera is at present filling the need for natural 
color illustrations, it is far from perfect, the cost of equip¬ 
ment, most particularly the cost of ultra high speed 
lenses, constituting a formidable harrier to further de¬ 
velopment of the one shot direct separation process. 

Recent years have seen the introduction of highly suc¬ 
cessful natural color films, of which two are outstanding 


82 


in this country, namely Dufaycolor and Kodachrome. 
Each of these films has its advantages together with some 
disadvantages, some of which will be overcome in the 
future. 

Dufaycolor film makes use of a screen pattern com¬ 
posed of three filter colors ruled on the base of the film 
in a microscopic pattern. When processed by the reversal 
process, the finished product is a natural color positive 
transparency. This film has the advantage of a compara¬ 
tively simple processing, enabling the photographer to 
finish his own films and see the results within a few 
minutes after the exposure if so desired. In the larger 
sizes this film should be highly successful for practically 
all commercial color work, however, in the miniature 
sizes the color screen becomes somewhat of an obstacle 
if an enlarged color print is attempted. The effects of the 
screen are most noticeable in subjects abounding in fine 
and delicate details, most of this detail is completely lost 
even in a five by seven blow-up. 

In spite of the drawback of the screen pattern, Dufay¬ 
color film has a definite place among the tools of the 
commercial photographer contemplating natural color 
work with the miniature camera. Where the purpose of 
the job is to produce transparencies to be shown by pro¬ 
jection, Dufaycolor will he found highly satisfactory and 
acceptable to the buyer. 

The photographer will also find Dufaycolor an ideal 
medium for the submission of proofs and new ideas in 
connection with advertising photography. When an idea 
has been approved it is a simple matter to shoot the pic¬ 
ture on a film suitable to meet the requirements of the 
buyer. 

The introduction of Kodachrome film has opened up 
an entirely new field to the miniature camera man. Here 
we have a film which makes use of the principle of color 
separation in depth. It has no screen pattern, the image 
is of pure dyes, and there is no bugaboo of grain to inter¬ 
fere with the making of excellent enlargements. Full 


83 


newspaper page spreads made from Kodachromes are on 
a par with, if not superior to similar work done with the 
one-shot camera of larger size. Besides having the ability 
of recording the most delicate shades of color together 
with the more brilliant hues, Kodachrome is also remark¬ 
able in its ability to record and hold the finest details, in 
fact, the writer has seen 11 x 14 color prints made from 
miniature Kodachromes which were as alive with fine 
detail as the best 11 x 14 black and white prints. 

From the standpoint of the commercial photographer 
there are two disadvantages to Kodachrome film, the cor¬ 
rection of the first will automatically eliminate the sec¬ 
ond. The first and greatest drawback to Kodachrome is 
the unwillingness of the manufacturer to let out any in¬ 
formation concerning the processing of the film. The 
manufacturer seems to take the stand that the processing 
is so difficult that they are the only ones capable of doing 
a satisfactory job. The answer to that one is that they are 
only human, and since they can accomplish the proces¬ 
sing there is no reason why others cannot do the same 
with the aid of full instructions and the availability of 
the proper chemicals. At present there is an unavoidable 
delay between the exposure of the film and the delivery 
of the finished transparency. This delay, which ranges 
from just a few days to two weeks (depending on where 
the photographer is located with respect to the proces¬ 
sing station) makes it practically impossible for the pho¬ 
tographer to make any promise as to when the finished 
job can be delivered. This is a condition which will have 
to be corrected before we can witness a more intensive 
exploitation of the use of Kodachrome film in commer¬ 
cial photography. 

The second objection, which while not so serious, still 
should not exist to the extent that it handicaps the pho¬ 
tographer, namely censorship of the work of the photog¬ 
rapher. The purpose of this censorship is naturally to 
protect the manufacturer against becoming involved with 
the postal laws regulating the mailing of objectionable 


84 


matter. However, there have heen cases reported in the 
past where reproductions of previously shown and widely 
published pictures have heen deleted from rolls of film. 
Apparently the only rule which exists at the processing 
station for determining the legality of a picture is the 
sensitivity of the one who happens to inspect the film. 

One of the hard facts which must be faced in the field 
of advertising is that nothing is more successful in attract¬ 
ing the attention than a picture of a pretty girl, especially 
if she is shown wearing as little as the law allows. With 
all respect to those highly respectable hut extremely sen¬ 
sitive souls whose one aim in life seems to he the elimi¬ 
nation of anything suggestive of sex, it is a well known 
fact that human nature is such that appeals to the emo¬ 
tions constitute the most successful advertising medium. 
Among the emotions, sex appeal is by far the most effec¬ 
tive in catching the attention of the buying public. 

With these facts in mind, the photographer who sets 
out to supply a demand for this type of illustration in 
color, need not be surprised if instead of getting back his 
finished Kodachrome, he gets a nicely written note asking 
for permission to destroy certain films for the simple 
reason that someone was shocked to see a nicely turned 
knee or a pretty pair of panties. 

This about covers the disadvantages of Kodachrome as 
far as the commercial worker is concerned. If all indica¬ 
tions are true to form we should soon be blessed with a 
film having all the characteristics of Kodachrome to¬ 
gether with the possibility of being processed by the 
worker in his own laboratory. 

Until recently national advertisers have heen about the 
only users of natural color photography, however, the 
introduction of Kodachrome film has opened up a vast 
field for the photographer using a miniature camera. 
Probably the most fertile field for Kodachrome work lies 
with interior decorators, architects, and landscape gar¬ 
deners. Color plays an important part in each of the 
above mentioned professions and black and white photos 


85 


have never been able to do justice to the material which 
they have photographed. 

In order to sell Kodachrome work it is advisable that 
the photographer provide himself with a projector or a 
slide viewer and a generous supply of sample slides. 
Never attempt to sell a prospect by merely handing him 
some slides to look at, invariably the reaction will he 
“they sure are nice but we can’t use anything that small.” 
Always show the slides by projection on a screen at least 
20" x 30". If it is inconvenient to project the slides then 
make use of a slide viewer which gives the impression of 
looking at a greatly magnified image. Once the prospect 
has been impressed with the possibilities of Kodachrome 
slides little difficulty will he experienced in convincing 
him that the cost of a good projector and screen will be 
a good investment. 

Naturally the cost of having Kodachrome slides made 
is an important factor, if the price asked is too high the 
photographer will get no business, and if the price is set 
too low he will have plenty of business but no profits. 
Luckily there is a midway point at which it is possible to 
make a fair profit and at the same time enjoy a fair 
volume of business. 

In setting up a price schedule on Kodachrome work 
consideration must be given to the fact that the entire 
roll must be returned to the manufacturer for processing. 
This results in a delay in delivering the finished product 
and also makes it quite difficult to establish a price for an 
individual slide. To overcome the last difficulty it will he 
well for the photographer to base his prices on a set of 
six slides, thus an eighteen exposure roll will permit 
the making of three shots of each subject, these extra ex¬ 
posures provide a form of insurance against scratches, 
dust marks, fingerprints, and other slight damage which 
is likely to occur in the processing and subsequent han¬ 
dling of the film, it being quite unlikely that all three 
shots suffer damage. 


86 


A fair price for such a set of six slides would he in the 
neighborhood of twenty ($20.00) dollars for the com¬ 
plete set, hound and ready for use. This price gives the 
photographer a good margin over his cost and at the 
same time gives the buyer a set of slides at a reasonable 
cost per slide. 

If a buyer should he interested in obtaining color 
prints on paper the photographer need not hesitate in 
taking the order even if he himself is not capable of 
making the prints, as there are any number of finishers 
specializing in color prints from Kodachrome. The prices 
charged for making color prints are low enough to allow 
the photographer a fair margin, on the average an 8 x 10 
print will cost between $7.50 and $10.00, most buyers do 
not object to paying anywhere from $25.00 to $50.00 for 
a good 8 x 10 natural color print depending, of course, 
on how important the color print is in their advertising 
set-up. 

The making of a natural color print from Kodachrome 
is an exacting process and the photographer who aspires 
to making his own color prints will do well to obtain 
from the Eastman Kodak Co. a complete set of instruc¬ 
tions which will be gladly furnished. Before attempting 
to sell a color print the photographer will also do well 
to spend a month or more in intense experimentation and 
print making in order to master the technique and avoid 
turning out inferior work. 

No effort has been made to set up any specific set of 
instructions as to natural color technique, for the simple 
reason that color photography is still in what might he 
called the three-cornered pants stage, and processes and 
technique in vogue today will most certainly he obsolete 
tomorrow. Every manufacturer furnishes instructions as 
to how to use the natural color materials they furnish, 
and the photographer will find that by following these 
instructions his results will he as perfect as the material 
available will allow. 


87 


The main purpose of this discussion has been to evoke 
thought on the part of the reader. The best advice which 
can be given at this stage of color photography is that the 
photographer keep up to date on the many improve¬ 
ments which are most certain to make their appearance 
from time to time. In this manner he will be well pre¬ 
pared to step right in and reap the harvest when natural 
color photography finally reaches the stage of popularity 
and perfection for which it is destined. 


88 


CHAPTER NINE 


Successful Miniature Camera Technique 


One of the greatest advantages possessed by the mini¬ 
ature camera lies in the fact that the 35 mm. films avail¬ 
able are the best which science can produce. Great 
quantities of film are used by the movie industry, and 
the film manufacturers are constantly at work, sparing 
no expense, in the effort to bring out a good variety of 
films of the highest quality. While this may not seem 
important to the average photographer, anyone who has 
stayed with the miniature camera from its infancy will 
appreciate what it actually means to be able to take 
advantage of all film improvements as fast as they are 
released to the movie industry. 

There are many different brands of 35 mm. film avail¬ 
able, and the beginner is most likely to he bewildered in 
making his choice. One of the most frequently asked 
questions is “what film do you use, and which do you 
find best?” There is really only one answer to that ques¬ 
tion. All the films on the market today are good, pro¬ 
vided they are used for the purposes for which they were 
specifically intended. The photographer is strongly ad¬ 
vised to refrain from jumping from one film to another 
merely because he has seen a beautiful piece of work 
turned out by someone who happens to he using a dif- 


89 


ferent brand of film. In practically every case the pho¬ 
tographer who is turning out good work, day in and day 
out, has settled down to using one particular brand of 
film. His results are not obtained merely because that 
particular brand of film is so superior, hut because 
through his consistent use of it he has learned to really 
know the film and to use it properly. 

The beginner should follow the example set by these 
successful workers and choose a brand of film and stick 
with it through hell and high water. In choosing a film, 
the popularity of any particular brand is a good indica¬ 
tion to guide the photographer. Films which are popular 
will be found in all supply houses. In this connection it 
might be well to remind the photographer that film 
manufactured in this country can usually be bought most 
anywhere, while imported films are not as a rule so 
heavily stocked by the general run of dealers. 

In the general run of commercial photography there 
are several types of film which will be needed. Positive 
stock comes in handy when making copies of material 
such as printed matter or black and white drawings or 
photos. The slow and medium speed panchromatic films 
are needed if the work to be copied is rendered in colors 
and filters are to be used. 

For the general run of outdoor photography, best re¬ 
sults will be obtained by making use of the medium speed 
panchromatic films. Speed is not so necessary in this 
work, and by the use of these films which are inherently 
fine grained, little trouble will be experienced in pro¬ 
ducing good clean enlargements. 

For interior work, and action photography it will be 
necessary to make use of the higher speed panchromatic 
films. 

Practically every film manufacturer producing 35 mm. 
films has available a film which falls into each of the 
above classifications. Choose your brand of film and 
study your results carefully and learn the characteristics 


90 


of the material. This is the one and only means of work- 
ing toward perfection with the miniature camera. 

Concerning the subject of exposure, there is little that 
can lie said other than that since the object of commercial 
photography is to obtain a true likeness of the subject 
photographed, it will be found that the exposures re¬ 
quited will he rather liberal. 1 he old rule of exposing 
for the shadows and developing for the highlights will 
he found a good rule to follow. The use of a good reliable 
exposure meter will greatly reduce the number of poor 
exposures which are most certain to result if guesswork 
is depended upon. 

The subject of developing miniature films is one about 
which endless volumes have been written in the past few 
years. Developers have made their appearance with 
about the same frequency as Barnum’s famous suckers. 
Great claims and much ballyhoo have accompanied the 
arrival of each new fine grain developer. Most of these 
so-called new developers were merely minor variations of 
old standbys, put up in an attractive package or bottle, 
and sold under some fancy and technical sounding name. 
Of the hundreds of developers which made a bow on the 
photographic stage, only a few classical formulas have 
stood the test of time. Of these are three which should 
have a place in the laboratory of the commercial photog¬ 
rapher. 

For the general run of work which does not call for 
extreme enlargements, one of the Metol-Hydroquinone- 
Borax developers will be found highly satisfactory. The 
keeping quality of the developer is good, the developing 
time is relatively short, and the results, especially with 
the medium speed panchromatic films, will yield clean 
and snappy prints. 

Where extreme enlargements are to he made, either 
from the medium speed or the high speed panchromatic 
films, a finer grained negative than that produced by the 
above mentioned developers should be aimed for. Para- 
phenylenediamine with Glycin and Metol forms the 


91 


basis of another series of developers which have stood 
the test of time. With the medium speed films this type 
of developer will produce negatives which will yield re¬ 
markable 11 x 14 glossy prints, and beautiful 16 x 20 or 
larger prints on other surfaces. The higher speed film 
developed in this solution will yield nice 8 x 10 glossy 
prints and excellent 11 x 14 and larger on rougher papers. 

There is a third developer which has become quite 
popular, and which the photographer should keep on 
hand, namely Champlin’s #15, which has the ability of 
producing good negatives from films which have been 
considerably underexposed. This developer will prove to 
be a live-saver on many occasions, and should he used 
whenever exposures have been made under doubtful 
lighting conditions. 

This about covers the subject of developers, and if the 
photographer learns to use these developers properly, he 
should experience no difficulty in turning out work ac¬ 
ceptable to the trade. 

Making Good Enlargements 

Many miniature camera fans seem to experience great 
difficulty in producing snappy prints. The greater portion 
of their trouble can usually be traced to the use of the 
wrong grade of paper, together with a slipshod technique 
in making the enlargement. 

Most enlarging paper is made in at least three grades 
of contrast, we have soft paper which should be used only 
for very dense and contrasty negatives. Next we have the 
medium contrast or normal papers which are designed to 
give a full range of tones from a properly exposed and 
properly developed negative. In addition there are hard 
and extra hard papers which will give fairly decent prints 
from weak and thin negatives. 

To obtain the best results, the negatives should be ex¬ 
posed and developed so as to fit on medium or normal 
paper. If the photographer makes use of a reliable ex¬ 
posure meter he should have little trouble in maintaining 
tbe density and contrast of bis negatives at the proper 


92 


level for medium paper. Always keep in mind the fact 
that the other grades of paper fall into the same category 
as the eraser on the end of a pencil, they have been pro¬ 
vided merely as a means of making some sort of correc¬ 
tion for the mistakes which human beings are bound to 
make. 

Given a perfect negative and medium paper, there is 
but one suggestion which can be made to help produce 
better prints. Time the printing exposure in such a man¬ 
ner that the print must remain in the developing solution 
at least fifty per cent longer than the instructions fur¬ 
nished with the paper and developer call for. Bromide 
papers and developers usually call for not less than one 
and one-half minutes developing time. Snappier prints 
will result if the printing time is cut down just a hit so as 
to require not less than two minutes developing time. 

The making of test strips takes but little time, and this 
operation should be routine practice in the darkroom of 
every serious photographer. It is not necessary to make 
a test strip of each and every negative, as the latitude of 
the modern bromide papers is great enough to care for 
the minor variations in negatives. However, when there 
is a noticeable difference in the brilliance of the pro¬ 
jected image, making a test strip will save considerable 
time and material. 

In finishing up his pictures there is one more point 
which the photographer should not overlook. All photo¬ 
graphs have the tendency to curl when they are dry. This 
curling becomes quite objectionable, especially if the 
prints are cards for use in a filing system, or inserts for 
notebooks. There are solutions on the market with which 
to treat the photographs after they have been washed 
which tend to overcome the curling. However, the most 
reliable and cheapest treatment is one which the photog¬ 
rapher can prepare himself. A solution made up of about 
three ounces of glycerine in a quart of water is all that is 
required. Leave the prints in this solution for about 
fifteen minutes after they have finished washing. When 


93 


the prints have been dried they will he found to he limp 
and pliable, and will lie perfectly flat. 

Filing Negatives 

The filing of negatives is a phase of commercial pho¬ 
tography which should he given considerable thought. 
There are probably as many different means of filing and 
storing negatives as there are different photographers, 
each method has its advantages and disadvantages. 

Some photographers prefer to cut their films into short 
strips and file a group of these strips in separate envel¬ 
opes. Other photographers leave the rolls intact, storing 
the individual rolls in small metal cans hearing a file 
number. Still others have intricate systems which only a 
Philadelphia lawyer could solve. 

The main purpose of the film file is to enable any 
negative to be located with the least amount of trouble 
and danger of mistakes. Where the volume of negatives 
handled is great, probably the easiest and most efficient 
method is to leave the rolls intact, and store them in 
special drawers or boxes. Figure 17 shows the file used 
by the author, it consists of a set of drawers, each drawer 
being about 24 inches long by 18 inches wide, and deep 
enough to accommodate the height of a roll of film. Each 
drawer contains enough spaces to store about 120 rolls of 
film. The drawers are classified as drawer A, B, C, D, E, 
etc., the spaces in the drawers are numbered, and each 
roll of film is numbered and lettered to correspond to 
the drawer and the space in which it belongs. Using only 
film which is edge marked to identify the individual 
frames, it becomes a simple and foolproof negative file. 

All the information concerning the negative is carried 
on a 3 x 5 card index, thus if the card shows that a certain 
negative is in Drawer B, roll 51, frame 27, there can he 
no doubt that when this roll is removed and the properly 
numbered frame projected, that the finished picture will 
be the one it was intended to be. 


94 



Figure 1 7. 
Film File Drawer. 


As a general rule it is advisable to keep all commercial 
negatives on file for at least one year after the date of the 
original order. It is indeed surprising to see how many 
times there are calls for additional prints. 

Film has a tendency to dry out and become brittle if 
stored in too dry an atmosphere. In order to offset this 
tendency it is suggested that in each drawer there be kept 
a small metal can, such as the cans in which 35 mm. 
cartridges come packed, in this can a small piece of 
sponge can be placed. Keeping the sponge moistened 
with a solution of glycerine and water will tend to keep 
the humidity in the drawer or box at a point where the 
film will remain soft and pliable. 


95 

























































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